Five: From Department to Mind-Set

Every crisis calls for a hero—a new department, a new VP, a new project manager is born. Unfortunately, when it comes to the fundamental changes in the marketplace driven by the disappearing linear economy, a few “converted” can hardly make a dent in the way that processes,products, and services are developed and delivered. As a result, the hero becomes nothing more than a scapegoat—a poor soul in charge of meaningless glossy reports and pet projects. The new market reality demands a new mind-set, a new way for the entire company to look at the world, rather than a new scapegoat. As this mind-set takes over all functions and all layers of the company hierarchy, you can learn how to discover value where it was previously invisible and impossible.

The five big secrets I am laying before you are not meant to be a complete and comprehensive set. Rather, these are a few brushstrokes among the many trends that define the background of the emerging Overfished Ocean Strategy. Together, these five principles pave the way for the emergence of the world that is yet to come—one that takes the line and turns it into a circle, channeling the art of resourcefulness into the world of infinity. In the following chapters, we will explore each of these principles, or disciplines, in depth, traveling through the many companies that have invented their way into the new economic order. Trust me, there is plenty for all of us.