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Unleashing the Power of Unconventional Thinking
What if the very trait that made you feel like an outsider as a child could become your greatest strength? T.D. Jakes' "Disruptive Thinking" arrives at a critical moment in American history, when societal divisions seem insurmountable and traditional solutions fall short. This #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller has captivated readers across demographics, from corporate executives to community organizers, all seeking to harness the transformative power of thinking differently. Oprah Winfrey called it "a masterclass in breaking through barriers," while business mogul Mark Cuban praised it as "essential reading for anyone serious about innovation." Drawing from Jakes' remarkable journey from poverty to leading a global ministry and multimillion-dollar business empire, this book challenges us to stop trying to fit in and instead embrace the disruptive power that comes from standing out.
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The Genesis of Disruptive Thinking
My introduction to disruptive thinking came at age eleven, watching my father waste away from kidney failure. Ernest Jakes-once a towering 280-pound man whose booming voice I felt in my bones-withered to 130 pounds before my eyes. While other children played outside, I learned to operate complex dialysis machines, manage medication schedules, and run my father's janitorial business. This premature encounter with disruption became my normal, teaching me not just crisis management but the delicate art of maintaining composure while everything familiar crumbles. Each day brought new challenges: negotiating with clients, managing employees twice my age, and mastering medical procedures that would intimidate most adults.
The most devastating moment came when my thirteen-year-old self had to pry my father's fingers from our porch railing as he begged, "Please, let me die." My silent plea-"Live for me, Dad"-went unanswered. That moment crystallized the harsh reality that sometimes our deepest wishes collide with inevitable outcomes. Three years later, he was gone. This traumatic experience taught me that how we respond to calamity defines us-whether we surrender to circumstances or find ways to thrive in environments not conducive to normalcy. The lesson wasn't just about survival; it was about transformation.
Coming of age in the 1960s meant living amid constant disruption-fallout shelters dotting neighborhoods, nightly Vietnam casualty counts on television, racial violence erupting in cities across America, and the shocking assassinations of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. Yet from this chaos emerged transformative art, groundbreaking music, and revolutionary innovation. The Beatles transformed music, NASA reached the moon, and the civil rights movement reshaped society. Today's social upheaval-with its political polarization, technological upheaval, and social justice movements-feels disturbingly familiar, presenting us with the same crucial question: How do we respond to trouble?
Often what drives disruptive thinking isn't what you're running toward but what you're fleeing from-the urgency of escaping terror can produce extraordinary greatness. Oprah Winfrey transformed childhood abuse and poverty into a media empire that changes lives. Maya Angelou converted her trauma into poetry that gives voice to millions. Tyler Perry turned his painful past into creative fuel that revolutionized entertainment. This early disruption creates a quicker pace than those less motivated, though eventually you must transition from running from fear to running toward purpose. Those born under attack develop unique capabilities-heightened awareness, rapid problem-solving skills, and extraordinary resilience. They must convert that survival energy into something useful, developing a higher pain tolerance that becomes a strange gift-allowing you to handle challenges that would crush others unprepared for such pressure. This resilience, born of necessity, becomes a superpower in navigating life's inevitable disruptions.
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America's Crisis: Why We Need Disruption Now
America faces a profound crisis as the social contract promising stability through hard work crumbles for many citizens. The stark reality of income inequality has reached unprecedented levels. While in 1965 CEOs earned about 20 times their average worker's salary, by 2021 that multiplier had skyrocketed to 399 times, with executives earning an average of $15.6 million. Even during the pandemic, when small businesses closed and workers faced evictions, CEO salaries increased by 19% while worker wages couldn't keep pace with inflation, which hit 7.5% in early 2022. The richest 5% now earn 23% of all US income, while the top 20% claim 52.2%. This concentration of wealth has created a two-tiered society where economic mobility becomes increasingly difficult for the majority.
The economic picture becomes even more disturbing when divided by race, revealing deep-rooted systemic inequalities. A quarter of Black households have zero or negative net worth-compared to just 10% of white families. Black families hold only $5.04 in net worth for every $100 held by white families, a disparity that affects everything from homeownership to educational opportunities to retirement security. Between 1983 and 2013, white households saw wealth increase by 14% while Black households experienced a devastating 75% decline. Princeton economist Ellora Derenoncourt's research reveals no progress in closing the wealth gap since 1950-in fact, it's been widening since the 1980s, with factors like redlining, discriminatory lending practices, and workplace discrimination contributing to this persistent divide.
The winds of despair have swept into communities that rarely felt their chill before, particularly affecting rural and working-class America. While the top 1% saw income increase by 229% between 1979-2019, skilled rural men haven't seen earnings change in fifty years, adjusted for inflation. Death rates among white rural residents aged 25-64 have risen dramatically from "deaths of despair"-drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, and liver disease-with some counties seeing mortality rates triple since 1990. White working-class Americans, once 70% of the adult population in 1975, have shrunk to 40% by 2015-their economic primacy disappearing before their eyes. This demographic shift, coupled with technological change and globalization, has left many communities struggling to maintain their way of life.
The new dream team for social justice must extend beyond traditional activists and elected officials to include CEOs focused on diversity and equity, and spiritual leaders who possess trust in their communities. Corporate leaders must move beyond performative gestures to implement meaningful changes in hiring, promotion, and compensation practices. We need to unite across tribal divisions, bridging urban-rural divides and racial barriers. People with PhDs must work alongside those with GEDs to create sustainable transformation, recognizing that expertise comes in many forms and that lasting change requires diverse perspectives and experiences. This coalition building requires addressing both economic inequities and cultural divisions that have deepened in recent decades.
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The Power of Unlikely Alliances
Meaningful partnerships often form through unlikely alliances that transcend our differences to solve common problems. When we recognize our limitations and put ego aside, we can find partners who complement our weaknesses and help us accomplish more together than we could alone.
My first encounter with America's "tough on crime" policies came as a teenager when a friend from my choir was arrested and sentenced to maximum security despite being a minor. Visiting him opened my eyes to the injustice of a system where 70% of inmates were incarcerated for nonviolent crimes, disproportionately affecting Black and brown youth. To combat this, I founded the Texas Offenders Reentry Initiative (TORI) in 2005, which has served over 30,000 returning citizens with an 11% recidivism rate-far below the national average.
For TORI to succeed, I needed to form partnerships with employers willing to hire ex-offenders. One significant alliance was with Randall Stephenson, then-CEO of AT&T. Despite our differences-he ran a company of 200,000 employees while I had 300, he was white and I was Black-we united around disrupting recidivism through job opportunities. Being disruptive alone is emotionally challenging and less effective; we need communities that galvanize around our disruption.
History shows the power of unexpected partnerships. Civil rights leaders formed an alliance with President Lyndon B. Johnson-a man known for his racism-who nevertheless pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. During the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, wealthy Black car owners lent their vehicles for 13 months, providing 20,000 rides daily in a radical act of togetherness that united fractious classes.
Marriage exemplifies an unlikely alliance requiring disruption to succeed. Two people with different backgrounds must dismantle past family cultures to create something new. My wife and I demonstrate this perfectly-I'm an extrovert thriving on stimulation while Serita's an introvert seeking tranquility. The differences that initially attract often later repel, and most marriages devolve into determining who's right rather than creating a mutually beneficial new normal. Our 40-year marriage survives because we constantly ask, "What do you need from me now?" rather than giving what the other person used to need.
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Serving Others Through Disruptive Leadership
Success doesn't feel successful-it feels hard, often lonely, with unexpected repercussions from sacrifices made along the way. The journey of disruption frequently involves sleepless nights, difficult decisions, and moments of self-doubt that few see or understand. We cannot pursue disruption for fleeting feelings or financial gain, as these shallow motivations will crumble under pressure. True success is measured by our impact: How did we improve the world? What difference did we make? Did we leave things better than we found them? Disruption should be about something bigger than ourselves-that's the only way we'll weather the stormy days and nights when everything seems to be working against us.
Jesus demonstrated the ultimate disruptive act at the Last Supper by washing his disciples' feet-showing he was strong enough to be weak. This simple yet profound gesture disrupted everything they thought about leadership and power dynamics. In an era where leaders demanded service, he provided it. True leadership is servitude; you're not a leader if you don't serve. Good leadership leverages influence to provoke change, protect those in need, or prepare others for future challenges. In business, solving problems attracts customers-if you only serve yourself, you'll eat alone, but if you solve problems for others, your table will always be crowded. Companies like Patagonia and TOMS have proven this model by building their entire business strategy around serving broader societal needs.
To truly serve others, you must be willing to lay aside five critical things: 1) Time-your most precious commodity, requiring sacrifice of personal pursuits and leisure to invest in others' growth; 2) Title-coming as a servant rather than hiding behind accomplishments, removing the barriers that status creates; 3) Talent-mentoring and giving your abilities to others' dreams beyond self-aggrandizement, becoming a multiplier rather than just a performer; 4) Treasure-investing money and resources, as meaningful impact always costs something tangible; and 5) Temperament-managing your emotions to connect with people unlike those you typically associate with, bridging divides that separate potential collaborators.
Success casts a shadow that affects not just us but everyone we love. When we face attacks for being disruptive thinkers, the blowback lands on our children, family, and friends who didn't choose this path. They become unwitting participants in our journey, facing scrutiny and judgment they never asked for. Children of successful people must find their way through the fog of their parents' brilliance-a long shadow they spend much of their lives crawling out from under. Consider the children of famous entrepreneurs or leaders who struggle to establish their own identity separate from their parents' achievements. Your spotlight affects everyone around you, whether they want it or not. Disrupters must prepare loved ones for scrutiny, having honest conversations about the challenges ahead. Your love must be unconditional, not predicated on children duplicating you or spouses matching your career path. Creating safe spaces for family members to develop their own dreams and identities becomes crucial for maintaining healthy relationships while pursuing disruptive leadership.
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Overcoming the Invisible Fences
They were so alike, yet so different-Bentley and Honey, my Cane Corsos. Bentley respected the invisible electronic fence we installed to protect them from coyotes and snakes. Honey saw it as imprisonment, willing to endure pain to breach it. Like these dogs, humans respond differently to life's boundaries-some stay comfortably inside while others leap despite consequences.
Our fences persist long after we've escaped them. Despite my success, I still struggle with "One Suit Jakes"-the memory of my only suit losing its lining in the washing machine, forcing me to keep it buttoned to hide this fact. This ghost haunts me decades later, manifesting in my compulsive suit-buying. Most Americans never address these psychological barriers-only 19% see therapists annually, with even lower rates among minorities.
We're driven by what we lacked, not what we had-like my cooking elaborate Christmas meals for my children who simply wanted my presence instead of food. I was feeding that hungry West Virginia boy who ate government cheese, not understanding my children's different needs. Being the "first Black" in any field carries the crushing weight of representing 40 million people, creating anxiety that can lead to substance abuse and isolation.
Ego is a tiny word with humongous power. Our brains constantly work to justify our actions and mistakes so we can see ourselves as smart, moral, and right. When leaping over fences, we must be willing to be small again-to enter as students rather than teachers. This means observation, introspection, and accepting less glamorous assignments. The journey requires surrounding yourself with people smarter than you in that space without becoming intimidated, moving through listening, learning, and finally leading.
Disrupters must prepare for criticism and attacks. The key is distinguishing between constructive criticism containing truth and destructive criticism that should be ignored. Too many of us waste energy trying to convince irrelevant people rather than focusing on our goals. When jumping fences, you need both mentors and sponsors. Mentors guide you through new landscapes, but sponsors bring you into the room and authenticate your validity. Without sponsors, you'll get stuck mid-leap.
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Adapting to Constant Change
When jumping fences, you lack the "insider knowledge" that privileged people take for granted. Just as middle-class children enter school already knowing how to "do school," successful business owners understand inventory, marketing, taxes, and accounting. People from disadvantaged backgrounds didn't grow up in rooms where these discussions happened. They missed the casual dinner conversations about investment strategies, the weekend discussions about market trends, or the family mentoring about business relationships. This knowledge gap extends beyond mere information - it includes unwritten social codes, professional etiquette, and networking skills that others absorb naturally through their environment. When someone does succeed in crossing over, they often struggle to return and share knowledge-transformation has occurred, and their old neighborhood is no longer their reference point.
Birth is our first introduction to disruption-thrust from the comfort of the womb into a cold, foreign world where we must learn to breathe and cry. Life continues this pattern of being birthed from one matrix into the next: from home to school, from school to work, from stability to COVID-19 and political upheaval. Each transition demands new skills, new understanding, and new ways of being. We face technological revolutions, economic shifts, and social transformations that require constant adaptation. Either we become proficient at adaptability, developing resilience and flexibility, or we regress to safety at the expense of growth, becoming trapped in comfortable but limiting patterns.
Strengthening our core means maintaining a solid sense of self amid unstable situations. Like lifting weights on an exercise ball rather than a bench, we must tighten our core when everything around us shifts. This means asking fundamental questions: Why are we here? Who are we here for? What values guide our decisions? The only way to survive is to define your own center-not what you own or what others demand, but who you truly are. Create methods to find yourself when your core is in doubt, whether through quiet time, meditation, prayer, journaling, or meaningful conversations with trusted friends. These practices become anchors during storms of change.
Success always demands tuition, paid in various currencies - time, effort, relationships, and often peace of mind. Being famous is like undergoing surgery in a shopping mall-everyone watches and judges while you're vulnerable. You're held to higher standards simply because you make hit songs or throw touchdown passes, yet you still face all normal human problems - relationship struggles, health issues, family conflicts, and personal doubts. Like Keiko the orca from "Free Willy," who couldn't readapt to the wild after captivity, transformation makes return impossible. The skills and perspectives gained through advancement create an unbridgeable gap. Once you leap the fence, you are forever changed-you smell different, you move different, you eat different. Your worldview expands, your references shift, and your understanding deepens in ways that can't be undone. The door opens only one way, and the price of progress is permanent transformation.
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Nurturing Disruptive Thinkers
Have you ever had a boss or teacher who saw things in you that you never saw in yourself? That ability to truly see others is one of the greatest gifts leaders can bestow, especially when managing disruptive thinkers who naturally peer outside the box. Great leaders are like archaeologists, digging until they unearth undiscovered potential, then cultivating and protecting it.
One of life's most frustrating experiences is feeling invisible. When we feel seen, we flourish; when we don't, we erode, deteriorate, or eventually destroy in a demand for recognition. Too many employer-employee relationships are merely transactional, but effective leadership creates beautiful reciprocity. Leaders must actually see the person who works for them, appreciating what they see and paying close attention to what naturally attracts them.
Once we identify people's talents, we must expose them to environments where they can grow. Like olive trees that need specific conditions to thrive, people need the right soil and climate. When moving someone to a new environment, we must prepare both the person and the setting to ensure a good match. This often means putting them in situations they wouldn't normally encounter, with people they wouldn't normally meet.
Disruptive thinkers must balance diplomatic respect with the fortitude to offer new ideas, plus the humility to accept not every idea will work. When managing disrupters, we must create safe environments that allow for disruption while teaching them there's a time for orthodoxy. As John Hope Bryant says, people flourish when "the floor is flat and the rules are clear"-a principle especially important for minorities navigating systems sometimes designed to exclude them.
Not everyone is meant to be a disrupter-some are meant to support them, providing the stability disrupters need to thrive. Like magnetic poles, we often marry our opposites. Disrupters need fence dwellers to save them from their own creativity, just as organizations need both innovative thinkers and those ensuring stability.
After decades of marriage, I offer several principles for maintaining a relationship with a disruptive thinker: Stop fighting to be right and recognize "I am not the standard"; remember your lover is not your enemy and separate issues from individuals; never use children or in-laws as weapons; recognize traditional roles don't always work for nontraditional people; understand trust extends beyond fidelity to economic, emotional, and intentional trust; practice empathy without necessarily condoning; agree to disagree without ending the relationship; and "don't burn down the school" by destroying what you love over minor issues.
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The Courage to Disrupt
We must honor children's creative inclinations rather than stifling them when they make us uncomfortable. The struggle with raising disruptive children is recognizing when the system, not the child, needs changing. Parents and educators often try to force children into predetermined paths - pushing them toward "safe" careers or conventional achievements - rather than asking the essential question: "Who are you?" and creating environments where their unique talents can flourish. Consider how many innovative entrepreneurs were labeled as "difficult" or "problematic" in their youth - from Thomas Edison being called "addled" by his teachers to Richard Branson struggling with dyslexia. Every creative person disrupted something to be creative, yet we paradoxically train children to fit in while they read about people who stand out.
The education system often rewards compliance over creativity, standardization over innovation. Take for example the child who questions established procedures, suggests alternative solutions, or shows intense curiosity beyond the curriculum. These traits - the very qualities that drive progress and innovation in adulthood - are frequently discouraged in educational settings. We need to shift our perspective from seeing these behaviors as problems to recognizing them as potential indicators of creative leadership.
As I conclude this powerful message, I want to share Leke Osinubi's remarkable journey from hacking sneaker websites as a teenager to overseeing digital security at Goldman Sachs. This story perfectly illustrates my central point: "It does not matter where you start; it matters where you finish." His early "disruptive" behavior, which might have been purely labeled as troublemaking, actually indicated a sophisticated understanding of digital systems that later became highly valuable in the corporate world. As you stand at different points in your disruptive thinking journey - some just beginning, others navigating the challenging middle "twilight song of becoming," and some already embracing disruption - I offer this essential advice: "keep moving." Even when you find yourself in unfamiliar territory or battling impostor syndrome, persistence is key. "If you stay there long enough, foreigners become citizens. Immigrants become leaders."
Drawing on a friend's wisdom, I emphasize that "Tenacity will get you there. Consistency will keep you there. Gratefulness will give you more of what's there." This trinity of principles - persistence, steadfastness, and gratitude - forms the foundation for sustainable success in any disruptive endeavor. The world needs your disruptive thinking now more than ever, particularly in an era of unprecedented global challenges and rapid technological change. You were built for this; you've survived more treacherous waters and never ran back to the womb. From your first breath to your first steps to your first failure and recovery, you've been preparing since birth to step onto unfamiliar, terrifying land. We need you to do it again, bringing your unique perspective and innovative thinking to solve tomorrow's problems.
