For Yellen's birthday recently, each person in the company wrote a card to give to Yellen as a token of their appreciation. Corny jokes and gag gifts often punctuate the average 60th-birthday party.

Sheldon Yellen, CEO of the property-restoration company BELFOR Holdings, Inc., handwrites holiday cards to each of his 9,200 employees as a way to say thank you.; He travels with a suitcase full ...