We are living in an era powered by technology, fueled by information and driven by knowledge. To grow and prosper in today’s global business environment, it is important to understand how to leverage these things to win. Long-term success demands systematically working to create greater value.

Most people understand financial capital and its value. However, you can’t stop there; it is vital to think about capital in three distinct layers. True innovation relies on the ability to capture and interpret the current and future growth needs of your business and your customers. The three layers of capital you should recognize are social, human and financial. To be a competitive organization the leaders will have to understand and buy-into these three layers.

1) Social capital: The network of relationships you have among employees and potential partners, and effectively leveraging them for maximum opportunity. This requires building and managing social trust, perceptions and beliefs. These are the fundamental ingredients involved in building a solid brand.

2) Human capital: the skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by individuals, viewed in terms of their value or cost to your organization. It is imperative to hire and manage the right people you need for growth. This requires properly training and encouraging them to rise to their full potential.

3) Financial capital: is having the financial resources to invest in infrastructure, building capacity and acquiring good talent; next, you must develop your talent and financially reward your top talent.

It takes more than sustaining to succeed in today’s business environment. You must look to improve your current situations and build valuable platforms and new strategic ways to maximize your growth. Consider an innovative way you may apply all three capital layers into your growth plan. The goal is to devise a new an evolving initiative that is capable of putting your company on a path to long-term success.