The Peacock Palace, Marra, Anthony

1. What really makes your organization unique? What really distinguishes us in the minds of our customers or other key stakeholders - makes us stand out in a way that motivates customers to want to do business or have a relationship with us rather than a competitor? What are those most important factors which form the foundation of that uniqueness and our competitiveness as an organization?
2. Have you and your leadership team described your business model in a clear and understandable manner that any employee could grasp? Have you examined each component of that business model to identify the value it adds to the long-term future success of your business? This includes the leadership team itself, culture, values, beliefs, core shared purpose, renewal (integration of innovation, adaptation and learning), principles of engagement (sustainability, governance, corporate social responsibility), and vision. What are your conclusions? What actions should you now take?

These questions and over 150 more equally stimulating and change-provoking questions are raised and explored within this concise text. As senior executives, you always have many areas where you can focus your attention--paths along which you can guide your organization to enable it to ultimately reach its full competitive potential. Guide your organization to its competitive potential by answering the questions within this text and by applying Dr. Ted Marra's approach to developing a working business model and crystal clear vision.

Dr. Ted Marra has lived and worked in 37 countries during the past 40 years, helping over 155 organizations from virtually every industry and sector. Here is his summary of this first book in the Wisdom Chronicles Series:

This book is really about focus. Forget all the latest theories. To a large extent, the "secrets" to success have never really been secrets. It's often about getting back to basics--doing the right things for the business and doing them right. This is the essence of what Peter Drucker considers "leadership." In addition to my hands-on experience, I have read all the thought leaders: Hamel, Porter, Kotter, Collins and more. I have been in conferences all over the world, interacting with the likes of Juran and Welch as well as many others. All of that, plus my own reflections, and distilling it down has been a lifetime pursuit. This book contains that distillation of my observations providing the reader with what I believe are truly the vital few keys to long-term organizational success - competitiveness and profitable growth and overall higher performance across the board.

REVIEWS

"Openhearted, rich in detail, and wildly irreverent, Reggie Marra's And Now, Still celebrates the sacred everyday connections among the living, the dying, and the dead. This intimate moment, son holding father - 'I learn how heavy/ your living dead weight can be/ face to face, chest to chest' - is one example of the brave, unflinching nature of Marra's work.

"And from the title poem these lines - 'I feel etched stone's/ temporary permanence, / time, laughter, conversation, / ...first and final truth/ lost shinanklefoot, / ...two key turns, a silent sister' - reminding us that all emerges from and gives way to silence, the mysterious center point, this moment. And so the poet mourns and sings. Lyric to narrative, journal entry to rant, his layered language, its poetic intelligence, invites deeper presence. A generous collection that defies being boxed, this book is a healing journey offered by a kind, resilient, skillful and eloquent guide."
- Janet E. Aalfs, author of Bird of a Thousand Eyes, founder & director of Lotus Peace Arts, http: //www.vwma.org/

"When the soul needs to be fed or held, only music and poetry are capable. I have no idea if Reggie Marra sings or plays anything - but oh, the poetry."
- Ian Percy, author, Going Deep: Exploring Spirituality in Life and Leadership

"Reggie Marra's poetry speaks to me deeply of hope and joy, beautifully woven into the context of grief and loss. As a holistic nurse, reading Reggie's poetry reminds me of the humanity in every person. Through his life I see my life and the lives of the many patients I have touched. Reggie has the ability to gather precious moments and offer them as a gift to the reader. I recommend slowly sipping and savoring each word that it may touch and magnify your life."
- Joanna Burgess-Stocks, BSN, RN, CWOCN, Patient Advocate

The 2013 editions of The Quality of Effort and The Quality of Effort Workbook invite student-athletes, parents and coaches to observe and explore their unique and necessary roles in bringing about a healthy athletic experience. Reggie Marra writes through the soul of a poet-athlete-teacher-caregiver, and kid who got cut from the team he later went on to coach.

He takes us by the hand and challenges us to inquire into our own values, behaviors, and relationships. If we're willing to take up the challenge, this inquiry helps us see ourselves and all those heroes and villains out there from increasingly comprehensive and balanced perspectives.

"Preaching" only what he practices, in The Quality of Effort, Reggie Marra authentically engages each of us to become increasingly more aware of our stories-the interpretations we choose, and how they affect, and even effect, what we do next as parents, coaches, student-athletes and human beings.

Early Praise

"As a former college athlete and longtime leader of high-performance military units, I recommend Reggie Marra's work with unbridled enthusiasm.... Following this comprehensive approach to training will not only produce better athletes, but also happier and healthier citizens as our youth grow and take their place in the world." -Fred Krawchuk, Retired U.S. Special Forces Colonel and RAND Consultant

.."..Reggie Marra offers a blueprint that encourages our children to become not only better athletes but better people. He delivers a powerful message filled with humanity and honest answers to questions that we sometimes think but may not want to ask." - Anthony Perrone, VP, Challenger Division, Cortland American Little League

"The Quality of Effort has helped me reinterpret my career as a professional athlete-providing both relief and direction....Reggie Marra offers a map to tomorrow's competitive edge, a map that requires effort-not necessarily in doing more drills or pushups, but in taking responsibility for all aspects of your approach to life." - Ryan Leech, Professional Mountain Biker (Retired) and Professional Integral Coach(TM) http: //ryanleech.com

.."..Sports can and does play an instrumental role in the healthy unfolding of a human life. If we take advantage of Reggie's frame of understanding-highlighting the role of effort, in relationship to talent and results, as an equally important consideration in our definition of success-we have a grand opportunity from which we can chart a significantly improved learning and developmental pathway for generations of student-athletes to come." - Cherie Beck, Cultural Technologist http: //about.me/CherlynnGrace

"The Quality of Effort is a profound embrace of Emerson's reminder that 'Life is a journey, not a destination'.... The book is an incredibly personal gift from Reggie to the reader, written through and with his bountiful, open heart." - Tom Rubens, Founder, The Accountability Factor http: //theaccountabilityfactor.com