Human resources are the most valuable asset of an organization as they are the source of operational performance and competitive advantage of an organization. An asset, by definition, is a useful or valuable thing or person. An organization includes three types of assets, namely: financial assets, physical assets (infrastructure and equipment), intangible assets. Intangible assets include intellectual capital (patents, copyrights and trademarks), social capital and human capital. The creative thinking potential of an organization's current employees (Bolton, 1996) constitutes the organization's most valuable asset because individuals are the driving force of companies seeking to differentiate themselves in these competitive markets. Business in the 21st century is highly competitive. The rise of the Internet has made the world more connected, enabling rapid exchange of knowledge, making it easier for businesses to understand and enter new markets across the world. The Internet has also provided an open knowledge framework and creative landscape that has contributed to many significant technological advancements in recent years, making it extremely difficult to generate the next big idea in the market. Thus, it has become essential for business leaders to develop organizational capabilities that support the imperative of innovation, collaboration and continuous learning to succeed in a complex and rapidly changing world (Serino, 2013), c that is, to effectively exploit human resources as human capital. As Bolton (1996) puts it: Human capital is the knowledge, skills and abilities of the workforce. Don't view people as a liability. They are the key to the future. People's skills and knowledge add insight and insight to other resources...... middle of paper ...... a resource to be an organization's most important asset. Works Quoted Becker, B., Huselid, M. and Ulrich, D. 2001, The link between people and strategy Companies often treat workers as a cost rather than a source of competitive advantage. Brian Becker, Mark Huselid and Dave Ulrich propose a way to value the most important intangible asset, London (UK). Bolton, N. 1996, "Your organization's most important asset", The Canadian Manager, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 25-26. Castaneda, D. & Toulson, P. 2012, "The value of human resources in intellectual capital and knowledge management", Academic Conferences International Limited, Kidmore End, 10, pp. 52. Serino, M 2013. Making human capital the creative core of strategic execution. [e-book] New York: ILR School of Cornell University. p. 1-5. Available via: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/hcd/ [Accessed: November 15 2013].