People are not merely a component, a human resource or a walking, talking form of capital. They are an unfathomable microcosm of inexhaustible innovation and creativity. There lies as much hidden productive potential within a company’s people as in the entire society within which it operates, for the simple reason that a company’s people are a microcosm of that macrocosm. Management of human resources usually focuses on externalities – compensation, incentives and bonuses, responsibilities, performance standards, evaluations, technical and managerial training, career paths and the like. These merely scratch the superficial surfaces.

Companies grow by growing their people. Starting his entrepreneurial business with a simple bachelor’s degree, Bill Marriot evolved personally with each stage of his company’s growth and development. He evolved from a cook and server into an efficient store manager, then a general manager of managers, an expert in marketing and site selection. He gradually acquired the skills and attitudes to select, understand and motivate other people, alter his attitudes toward borrowing money and delegating authority, to learn how to learn continuously and change constantly. Ten years after he commenced his business, he was no longer doing any of the things he had been doing during the start-up phase. He was doing things he had never been taught or known when he began the business. He grew continuously so his company could keep growing. Organizations stop growing when the people at the helm stop growing. In 1984 he related how his management team balked at the idea of opening 250 new hotels in one year. They told Willard Marriott in flattering terms that he had a born genius for site selection and no one else could do it as well. He laughed at them and said it was nonsense. Anyone can select the right sites given the criteria, the necessary information, and the knowledge of what to look for. Had he listened to that flattery, Marriott might still be struggling to find the locations for the 1056 Courtyard hotels now operating in 40 countries.