Warden and Russell introduce what they call the “Prometheus Process–a new way of running an enterprise in warp-speed time.” Why Prometheus? Because, according to legend, he gave two gifts to man: forethought and then, realizing that forethought alone was insufficient, Prometheus went to Mount Olympus and stole the fire of the gods and gave it to man. So what? “Today, forethought and fire (passion) fuel high performance organizations. Those organizations whose leaders think strategically and execute passionately have the ultimate competitive advantage–the power to spark their own success, illuminate the future, and ignite the energy of all of their stakeholders.” In practice, the Prometheus Process is based on four fundamental imperatives: “Design the Future” (i.e. clearly envision what to accomplish); “Target for Success” (i.e. select the right objectives by using the “Five Rings” methodology which Warden and Russell explain in Chapter 9); “Campaign to Win” (i.e. aggressively, indeed tenaciously and relentlessly execute the system strategy to achieve the given objectives); and “Finish with Finesse” (i.e. prepare for the inevitable elimination of products, processes, even businesses...and do so with style and grace).
Warden and Russell explain methods develop and nourish a mindset which involves deciding what the desirable future is and then how to make it happen at a faster rate of change in the given competitive environment. They explain why “Instant Thunder” can achieve success if decision-makers think strategically, focus sharply, and move quickly. Warden and Russell also explain the necessity of “creating your own rules with a winning strategy” that is translated into an integrated plan “that will take you from vision to execution to completion.” They also point out that everything happens within a system or frame-of-reference that has centers of gravity. “Identify them and act on them rapidly and in parallel”. [Think about the concluding scenes in The Godfather when the enemies of the Corleone family are systematically–and simultaneously–eliminated.] Achieving and then sustaining this focus “is the secret to rapid, decisive system change.”
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