Everyone knows the labor market is incredibly tight these days, and every month these reports show it. What’s less clear is how to set one’s company apart to get, and keep, the employees you want.

These reports paint a picture of a rapidly-changing business landscape: new companies starting, new deals being made, new technologies gaining a foothold. And every business leader is aware of how his or her own industry is being transformed. But how much are we relating these developments to the seismic social and technological shifts our society is experiencing? And how well are we preparing our people – our greatest asset – for the changes that lie ahead?

I recently heard a national site selector say that one of the most important factors for her clients when considering where to locate their operations is a “sticky” workforce.

I recently read an article in the Denver Business Journal about the inaugural Smart Cities Symposium held here. An ad popped up as I was reading, promoting a land auction in a nearby mountain community and noting that the parcel to be sold has senior water rights. You couldn’t have asked for a much more interesting pairing of editorial and advertising.

As a CEO who is focused on preparing my company to thrive in the coming decades, one of the things I relish about the Metro Denver business environment is the spirit of innovation.