In order to understand the Genesis Strategy Process, it is useful to firstly examine expert models, ideas or frameworks of strategy. In my strategy world, I have learnt from many thought leaders but I will lean on the seven listed below (not in order of ranking):
1.    Michel Robert
2.    Henry Mintzberg
3.    Michael Porter
4.    Bruce Henderson
5.    Michael Freedman
6.    Tom Peters
7.    Jason Jennings & Laurence Haughton
Let’s examine the ideas and models of these thought leaders and link them to process of creation as a strategic tool.

Michel Robert
Michel Robert, writer of the book, “The Power of Strategic Thinking” outlines the meaning of a company’s strategic profile. Robert’s thoughts are echoed by Mike Freedman in “The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership.”
Robert explains that a strategic profile answers the following questions for a company:
1. What products /services should we offer?
2. Which customers/clients should we offer the products/services to?
3. Which industry segments should we pursue?
4. Which geographic markets or locations should we seek?
The creation story outlines products and services of the earth, the customers or users, segments - in terms of what is to be used for what - and locations for everything. I’ll examine these more closely as I unfold the Genesis Strategy Process in subsequent articles.
Robert also argues that good competitive strategy involves changing the rules of the game. Examples of rule-changing companies are Southwest Airlines, Wal-Mart, CNN and Dell Corporation.  These companies brought new business models into existence and radically altered the face of their industries.

Henry Mintzberg
Henry Mintzberg defines strategy as a plan - consciously and purposefully developed. He also defines it as a pattern - a stream of actions formed or formulated. These two definitions fit aptly with the Creation story which narrates how the earth was consciously and purposefully developed. The story, rhyming with the second definition of strategy also describes the stream of actions that went into creating the earth, its inhabitants and its contents.

Michael Porter
Michael Porter has become virtually synonymous with corporate strategy from his writings on the subject. His definitions or descriptions of strategy include ideas about activities and choice both of which undergird the Genesis strategy process.
Porter states that: “The essence of strategy is in the activities – choosing to perform activities differently or to perform different activities than rivals. The key word is “activities” which captures the essence of the Creation story, our thought platform for this series. Creation was a set of activities which took place over a six day period. It also reflects the concept of difference which Porter mentions. This is significant because the earth was in a particular state i.e. void and without form – before Creation commenced. Creation was therefore a difference-maker in bringing the earth from chaos to order. The objective of strategy is to change the landscape of an organization or an industry. There can’t be strategy without change.
Another of Porter’s relevant ideas is that “choice is essential to strategy – purposefully limiting what products or services a company offers and to whom.” This aligns with the creation process – there were choices about what to create and when to create them. The full logic or philosophy of these creation choices is beyond human comprehension but provides platforms for human application in corporate strategy.

Bruce Henderson
Bruce Henderson was the founder of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) which he established in 1963.  Henderson changed the way we think about strategy and BCG was the first pure strategy consultancy.
Henderson appropriated ideas from biology, economics, systems thinking and military strategy to paint for the first time, the broad outlines of business strategy as we know it today. The Genesis Strategy Process appropriates ideas from the Creation Story adding some new perspectives to those previously laid out by strategy experts.

Mike Freedman
Mike Freedman was previously president of the consulting firm, Kepner-Tregoe. He refers to the strategic profile in his book, The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership. Freedman’s angle on the strategic profile is that it has seven components:
1. Product/market matrix
2. Competitive advantage
3. Key capabilities
4. Basic beliefs
5. Strategic intelligence gaps
6. Functional, divisional or business unit