Gray - Liminal thinking: create the change you want by changing the way you think

Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think

DAVE GRAY

TWO WAVES BOOKS
BROOKLYN, NY, USA

Liminal Thinking

Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think

By Dave Gray

Two Waves Books

an Imprint of Rosenfeld Media, LLC

457 Third Street, #4R

Brooklyn, New York

11215 USA

On the Web: twowavesbooks.com

Please send errors to:

Publisher: Louis Rosenfeld

Managing Editor: Marta Justak

Illustrations: Dave Gray

Interior Layout Tech: Danielle Foster

Cover and Interior Design: The Heads of State

Indexer: Sharon Shock

Proofreader: Chuck Hutchinson

2016 Dave Gray

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 1-933820-46-2

ISBN-13: 978-1-933820-46-0

LCCN: 2016938554

Printed and bound in the United States of America

Dedicated to Kurt Hanks, without whom this book would not exist

Ever since I found out about Liminal Thinking, I keep thinking of it at strange times, in-between times, surprising times. I keep thinking, wouldnt it be great if this person were exposed to Daves book, or heres what Id like to say right now, its right here in Daves book, or I feel a need to reread this part of Daves book. I take these messages as signs that Daves book is a book we all need, even if we dont all know it yet. I cant wait for everyone to discover it.

Cynthia Kurtz, researcher, software developer, consultant, and author, Working with Stories

Liminal Thinking is yet another compelling-to-read, mind-expanding book by Dave Gray. In an era of accelerating change, uncertainty, and opportunity, readers in all walks of life will benefit from the visual thinking insights of this tremendous book.

Jonathan H. King, Head of Cloud Strategy, Ericsson & Visiting Scholar, Washington University School of Law

The universe becomes clearer through Dave Grays eyes.

Robin Uchida

In a time of increasing complexity and change, Dave Grays Liminal Thinking provides a much-needed blueprint to help us clarify our own thinking, make connections with others, and communicate our ideas powerfully, in a way that is both deeply human and profoundly impactful.

Lisa Kay Solomon, Co-Author, Moments of Impact: How to Design Strategic Conversations That Accelerate Change

Liminal Thinking is an invaluable leadership tool, for the quality of our thinking determines how we connect, lead and generate impact.

Carlos Salum, Salum International

Change, its inevitable, and it will happen whether youre proactive or reactive. Becoming an effective agent for change is invaluable. In Liminal Thinking, Dave Gray nails it! For almost two decades, Ive tried, often unsuccessfully, to teach the beliefs and fundamental change principles that David explains so simply and powerfully. The Rabbis of the Talmud had a saying: jealousy between scholars increases wisdom. I am jealous. Do yourself a favor, buy this short book and finish reading it immediately.

Jeffrey Eisenberg, Author of NY Times Best Sellers Call to Action and Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?

Liminal Thinking is an accessible and engaging foray into a dark recess of organizational development that opens up many possibilities for profound change at the levels of self, organization, and society. Entering the liminal zone requires you to confront scary ideas, entertain wild beliefs, and accept personal risk. But liminal thinking is exactly what is required if we are to make progress on todays most intractable challenges.

Alex Ryan, Senior Systems Design Manager, Government of Alberta

Ive just sat and demolished, devoured, gorged myself on the book. Its just brilliant. Rarely do you read a book nowadays that feels so expertly, artfully designed to enlighten with every continuing page. Story by story, Dave demonstrates a new way to think about thinking, and gives you simple ways to put it into practice for yourself. Each chapter is a subtle jab to the edifice of 20th century practices, and just wait until you get to that left hook. Dave Gray is the Marvin Hagler of the mind.

John Willshire, Strategic Designer and Founder, Smithery

The book is absolutely stunning! It reminds me of sand mandalas constructed by monks. Each sentence in the book is patently and blatantly obvious. The text and figures are eminently accessible to any adult who can read. Like a mandala, there is a miraculous-like synergy and beauty that emerges when viewed in its entirety.

Richard Gray, Biomedical Engineer, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This is an important and deeply useful book for both individuals and organizations. Using simple and intuitive illustrated frameworks, and clearly explained premises and principles, Dave Gray makes some underlying truths about human nature more accessible and explicit.

One important contribution the book makes is the title itself. By helping to coin the word liminal thinking, Gray is giving a name to a powerful thing.

This kind of thinking is crucial in the fast-paced, high-pressure business world we all now operate in. And, even more fundamentally, in a world thats facing some very real problems for humanity.

On its face, this is a business book. However, this is the kind of business book that makes you realize that businesses are just a bunch of humans working together. Because the book seeks to uncover the underlying dynamics of how people think, communicate, and make decisions, its insights are useful in many spheres and circumstances.

Adam Menter, Learning Strategist, Autodesk

I cant believe you actually finish your books.

Karl Gude, School of Journalism, Michigan State University

Life is complicated. There are no quick answers to your biggest problems. How are we to make any progress? Train your brain, and become a mental gymnast! Let Dave Gray and Liminal Thinking be your guide.

Chris Reimer, Author of Happywork

Dave Gray has taken the brilliantly simple germ of an idea (how to think across the borders of belief) and written it into a potent virus. Daves timing couldnt be better. As the world slips again into splintered conflicts of belief, I hope and pray his virus spreads.

Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin

Liminal thinking, two words that hold in them such a kind energy to enact powerful change. I read Daves book right when I needed it most. I feel many of us will always feel that way picking up this book time and again. It is a light and easy-to-access volume we can return to over and over when we need to nourish ourselves, our values, and our vision to enact change to make a better world. Simple language, clear organization of complex concepts, and ease of accessibility show that Dave is really a master and precise wielder of his art, the art of making the complex simple and the simple compelling.

Alicia Dudek, Lead Design Ethnographer and Innovator, Deloitte Australia

This book will unlock the magical and often hidden parts behind change. You will have the tools to think differently and to help others think differently. Dave has found yet another way to simplify the understanding of the map for the key journeys for evolving human potential.