Breakfast at Taco Bell?

There's something unrealistic--or, perhaps, overly romantic--about the philosophy of Yum Brands' (NYSE:YUM) CEO David C. Novak. His obsessive focus on leadership and culture (as explained in his new book Taking People With You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen) is wonderful in theory, but I fail to understand its tangible connection to reality, namely profit margins. Of course a good company starts with good people, but there's undoubtedly more to the story (to start: business acumen, entrepreneurship, and timing). Clearly Novak has done well for himself, though, if director seats at J.P Morgan/Bank One, a 250% YUM stock price appreciation since 2004, and a $199.88 million five-year personal compensation package are any sort of indication.