Liminal Thinking. Dave Gray

      

       LIMINAL THINKING

       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: [email protected]

      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

       Advance Praise for Liminal Thinking

      “Ever since I found out about Liminal Thinking, I keep thinking of it at strange times, in-between times, surprising times. I keep thinking, wouldn’t it be great if this person were exposed to Dave’s book, or here’s what I’d like to say right now, it’s right here in Dave’s book, or I feel a need to reread this part of Dave’s book. I take these messages as signs that Dave’s book is a book we all need, even if we don’t all know it yet. I can’t 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 Gray’s eyes.”

       —Robin Uchida

      “In a time of increasing complexity and change, Dave Gray’s 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, it’s inevitable, and it will happen whether you’re proactive or reactive. Becoming an effective agent for change is invaluable. In Liminal Thinking, Dave Gray nails it! For almost two decades, I’ve 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 today’s most intractable challenges.”

       —Alex Ryan, Senior Systems Design Manager, Government of Alberta

      “I’ve just sat and demolished, devoured, gorged myself on the book. It’s 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 that’s 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 can’t 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. Dave’s timing couldn’t 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