In these days of overseas outsourcing and large layoffs, I start to wonder whether there’s any meaning in the old adage “Your People are Your Greatest Assets.”  Perhaps we are replaceable by technology and people willing to work harder for less money.

Here’s a motivating thought from one of my favorite thought-leaders Seth Godin, who is reflecting upon the inspiring and proven principles of another great thought-leaders, Andrew Carnegie (born November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919,  Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, entrepreneur and a major philanthropist.)

Losing Andrew Carnegie

by Seth Godin, March 7, 2010

“Carnegie apparently said, “Take away my people, but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on the factory floors……Take away my factories, but leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory.”

Is there a typical large corporation working today that still believes this?

Most organizations now have it backwards. The factory, the infrastructure, the systems, the patents, the process, the manual… that’s king. In fact, shareholders demand it.

It turns out that success is coming from the atypical organizations, the ones that can get back to embracing irreplaceable people, the linchpins, the ones that make a difference. Anything else can be replicated cheaper by someone else.”