We’re pleased to announce that we’ve decided to expand our marketing and outreach work to include books. Gwen is going back to her first love. She started out in the publishing world and worked there for over 15 years, before going into online video production and then joining forces with Angela to work with filmmakers. Now, life takes her and us around again. The changing world of distribution and marketing is affecting every area of media and entertainment, and our curiosity and passion for all that involves new technologies and different ways to help our clients reach their audience has naturally expanded into the book world, where more and more people are self-publishing and want help and advice in the process.

There are a couple of other projects in the works, but this is the first to see the light: ROKC. Leadership Built on the Return on the Key Component. Gwen has been working hard on this book, with author and business consultant Alessandro Daliana, to produce an easy, straightforward and useful text that will help business managers and owners to take a good look at their business, and ask the hard questions to make sure that their work is on track and that they are doing what needs to be done to ensure ongoing success. Here’s the main question to ask yourself if you’re a business owner or manager, whether you be a one-man or woman show or a major corporation:

What is Your Return on the Competitive Advantage?

Leadership consultant and author Alessandro Daliana puts forth a clear and simple premise in his new book ROKC. Leadership Built on the Return on the Key Component: business succeeds when led from its competitive advantage. As Alessandro states, “Business hasn’t changed for thousands of years. It is based on the ownership and/or control of property. If this property creates a significant competitive advantage in the market, then you can build a business on it.” He calls this differentiating factor the “key component.”

Drawing on examples as diverse as pine nut farmers, Kellog’s Corn flakes, Google and LVMH, Alessandro challenges business leaders to re-examine and question what gives their business its real value and whether everything they do ensures a return on the key component.

Other questions leadership must consistently ask include: How do you manage the risks inherent in the business to maintain that advantage? How efficiently do you use that asset to make a product? How well do you imbue the product with what the market wants? And, do you know when it is time to substitute one key component with another?

In straightforward language, with lively anecdotes and practical analysis, ROKC reminds readers of these core questions and how to address them, and provides a methodology they can apply directly to their business.

For a straightforward presentation of the ROKC methodology, here’s a handy slideshow. 

For over two decades, Alessandro has occupied leadership positions in international companies, and advised investors, boards of directors and C-level executives. From this work and independent studies, he developed the ROKC method, bringing value to companies across multiple industries. Alessandro studied at I.M.D. in Lausanne, Switzerland and holds an M.B.A. from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business, New York.

His book can be purchased on Amazon for shipping anywhere in the US and internationally. If you would like to ask Alessandro to discuss your key component and how you can ensure a better return on it, or any other business advice, he can be contacted directly at alessandro(dot)daliana(at)gmail(dot)com or through the ROKC website: returnonkeycomponent.com.

If you have questions for the author or want to engage in lively discussion on topics related to the ROKC, participate in the LinkedIn ROKC Group.