Earlier this summer, I had an interesting discussion with some of my friends about our approaches to vacation time. Most of us work in a corporate environment, but we all had varied ideas about what a vacation really meant. For most of us, vacation simply meant time away from the office, but included checking back in and being tethered to our email. Only one in the group really and truly disconnected, leaving her laptop, iPhone and work brain at home.

Earlier this week I read a post from William Rothwell, a leading succession planning expert, The Role of Executive Coaching in Talent Management and Succession Planning, which shared some interesting insights.

Last week, Roslyn Courtney, an award-winning expert on leadership, business change and talent management, announced the results of her survey on leadership and careers in a business world that is radically changing. Courtney surveyed 320 leaders and managers and conducted in-depth interviews. The survey looked at the use of talent, innovation and more, with some interesting results.

Trying to set your company apart from the competition? More and more organizations are learning that it’s your employees and the key competencies your organization nurtures and develops that help you stand out from the crowd.