He originated "lateral thinking"—deliberate creativity beyond logic—and created iconic tools like Six Thinking Hats®, CoRT Thinking, and de Bono Simplicity, used by Fortune 500s, governments, and schools worldwide. Author of 85+ books in 46 languages, he trained millions and was Nobel-nominated.
Career Timeline
Edward de Bono holding a top hat, referencing his Six Thinking Hats concept.
1954: Graduates medicine from Royal University of Malta at age 21
1955: Rhodes Scholar to Christ Church, Oxford (MA Psychology/Physiology); Oxford polo team & canoeing records
1963: PhD Medicine from Cambridge University
1957-61: Oxford University – Research assistant → Lecturer
1961-63: University of London – Lecturer in Medicine
1963-83: Cambridge University – Assistant Director of Research → Lecturer
1965-66: Harvard Medical School – Research associate
1967: Publishes The Use of Lateral Thinking – coins "lateral thinking" term
1971: Founds Cognitive Research Trust (CREATIVE), Cambridge
1976: Teaching Thinking – pioneers thinking curriculum for schools
1982: Leaves academia; launches 1st International Conference on Thinking
1985: Introduces Six Thinking Hats® – adopted by Fortune 500s worldwide
1987: Forms International Creative Forum (IBM, DuPont, BA clients)
1990s: Trains governments, corporations across 52 countries
2004: APTT → de Bono Thinking Systems®
2005: Nobel Prize Economics nomination
2009: European Year of Creativity Ambassador
Dr. de Bono authored over 80 books on thinking skills. Here are his 10 most cited and impactful works:
Lateral Thinking (1967): Introduced deliberate creativity techniques to break traditional logic patterns
Six Thinking Hats (1985): Parallel thinking system with colored hats for focused group decisions—used by Fortune 500s
Serious Creativity (1992): Practical toolkit for innovation in business and organizations
The Mechanism of Mind (1969): Explains human thinking as a self-organizing pattern system
Teaching Thinking (1976): Pioneered thinking as a teachable skill for schools
I Am Right, You Are Wrong (1990): Water logic vs. rock logic for better conflict resolution
Simplicity (1998): 4-step process to cut complexity without losing effectiveness
PO: Beyond Yes and No (1972): Provocation operation for generating new ideas
Parallel Thinking (1994): Expands Six Hats for team thinking focus
Think! (2011): Updated thinking tools for modern challenges
Our most popular workshops are open to all and are ideal for individuals, smaller groups and those reviewing workshops before wider roll out.
Our in-house delivery option gives you the flexibility to train teams, groups and departments. Reducing delegate travel, training cost (saving up to 50% per delegate, when compared to our open public workshops) and environmental impact - as we train at your choice of location or online, in the India or internationally. Options for tailoring content are available.
Creativity & Innovation
Six Thinking Hats®, a thinking skills training course from Edward de Bono, teaches parallel thinking as an alternative to argument. Parallel thinking guides thought processes in one direction at a time so we can effectively analyze issues, generate new ideas, and make better decisions. Six Thinking Hats® helps put our opinions aside so we can focus on a way forward, without argument.
Creativity & Innovation
What do businesses need today? A new way of thinking that opens a door they didn't even know existed. A way of thinking that seeks a solution to an intractable problem through unorthodox methods or elements that would normally be ignored by logical thinking. They need Lateral Thinking.
Problem Solving & Decision Making
The Power of Perception™ gives you 10 simple strategies for sharpening your perception and focusing your thinking in a more comprehensive, effective, and efficient way. PoP™ will enable you to have a broad and inclusive viewpoint. The tools create a framework for defining a situation. That framework will improve your ability to consider consequences before you take action.
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