‘Why have a mind if you never change it?’ Edward de Bono, the father of lateral thinking, stated as much. He is now the world’s leading authority on conceptual thinking as the foundation for structural innovation, tactical leadership, creativity, and problem solving. His limited tools and methods have produced astounding results for businesses worldwide and for individuals representing a diverse range of mixed cultures, didactic backgrounds, professions, and other miscellaneous groups. Dr. de Bono explains the progressive training principles that are critical for success in the modern world’s challenging times. He has been credited with developing unpretentious, concrete, and powerful thinking techniques. His concepts are now being implemented in a wide variety of institutions and organizations worldwide. His uncomplicated ideas have aided in changing behavior, increasing productivity, and bringing about profitable innovations in multimillion-dollar corporations and even start-ups. He has written over 75 fascinating books over the course of his long and successful career, which have been translated into nearly 38 languages. Apart from writing, he is a consultant and inventor, with numerous positions and appointments at universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Additionally, he produced two television series: ‘De Bono’s Thinking Course’ and ‘The Greatest Thinkers.’ Continue reading to learn more about this fascinating personality.
Childhood & Adolescence
On 19 May 1933, Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono was born in Malta.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Malta. During World War II, he attended St. Edward’s College.
He also studied psychology and physiology at Christ Church, Oxford.
He set two canoeing records and represented Oxford University in polo matches during his college years.
He earned a Ph.D. and a DPhil in philosophy from Trinity College, Cambridge, and a DDes and an LLD in law from the Royal Melbourne Institute and the University of Dundee, respectively.
Career of Edward de Bono
He worked briefly as a research assistant at Oxford University. He then accepted a lecturer position at the university. However, in 1961, he relocated to London and began teaching at the University of London. He accepted a position as assistant director of research at Cambridge University two years later.
In 1967, he published his first book, ‘The Use of Lateral Thinking,’ which is widely regarded as one of his best works, as it is credited with coining the term ‘lateral thinking.’
He then began work on ‘New Think,’ which was published in 1968 alongside another work, ‘The Five-Day Course in Thinking.’
In 1969, ‘The Mechanism of Mind’ was published, which discusses the mind’s self-sustaining prototype. The following year, he published a more detailed book titled ‘Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step’.
1971 was a particularly fruitful year for the author. He authored ‘Technology Today’, ‘Practical Thinking’, and ‘Lateral Thinking for Management’ after establishing a strong foundation with his ideologies.
He also wrote a number of other books between 1972 and 1976, including ‘Children Solve Problems’, ‘Po: A Device for Successful Thinking’, ‘Teaching Thinking’, and ‘The Thirty Greatest Thinkers: The Thirty Minds That Shaped Civilization’. He also founded the Cognitive Research Trust around this time.
He wrote the following books in the 1980s: ‘Atlas of Management Thinking’, ‘De Bono’s Course in Thinking’, ‘Tactics: The Art and Science of Success’, and the infamous ‘Six Thinking Hats’. ‘Six Thinking Hats’ became a hit in the United Kingdom due to the fact that it depicts hats of various colors that represent the structure of thought processes in the human brain.
One of his 1982 publications, titled ‘De Bono’s Course in Thinking,’ was also adapted into a BBC television show.
In 1990, he was appointed to preside over a meeting in Korea of Nobel laureates from around the world.
Edward de Bono created a documentary titled ‘2040: Possibilities by Edward de Bono’ in 1995. This documentary served as a discourse, preparing the audience for the future process of being released from cryogenic freeze cells.
In 1996, a ‘de Bono Institute’ was founded as a hub for innovative thinking. In the same year, he published ‘Textbook of Wisdom’.
In 1997, he was invited to speak at China’s premier ecology conference. The following year, he wrote and published ‘How to Be More Interesting.’
Despite traveling the world and delivering lectures at the world’s leading corporations in the new millennium, he found time to write a few more of his books. He was convinced that the advancement of humanity would ultimately be accomplished through improved language. As a result, he published ‘The Edward de Bono Code Book’.
He then published a variety of his works between 2004 and 2009, including ‘How to Have a Beautiful Mind’, ‘Six Value Medals’, ‘How to Have Creative Ideas’, ‘Six Frames For Thinking About Information’, and ‘Think! Before It’s Too Late’.
Significant Works of Edward de Bono
In 1967, he coined and popularized the term ‘lateral thinking.’ This approach assists individuals in resolving issues through an imaginative yet incidental approach. This methodology is now in use in a number of corporate offices worldwide and has proven to be extremely beneficial in terms of problem identification, solution, and motivation. As a result, he is regarded as the “father of lateral thinking.”
He published ‘Six Thinking Hats’ in 1985. This work is widely regarded as one of his greatest literary achievements, as it provides readers with effective tools for group discussion and individual thought. Additionally, it delves deeper into the concepts of ‘parallel thinking’ and ‘critical thinking. This book popularized de Bono’s’six thinking hats’ method, which Speedo Researchers used in the development of their swimsuits.
Awards and Accomplishments
He was the first recipient of Europe’s ‘Capire Prize’ for outstanding achievement in 1992.
In 1994, at the International Conference on Thinking at MIT in Boston, he was awarded the ‘Pioneer Prize in the field of Thinking.’
In 1995, the President of Malta bestowed upon him the National Order of Merit.
He was nominated for the 2005 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.
Personal History and Legacies
In 1971, he married Josephine Hall-White, with whom he had two sons.
The European Creativity Association conducted a survey and discovered that 40% of respondents voted for Dr. de Bono as having the greatest influence on the field of imagination, more than any other nominee.
In recognition of his contributions to humanity, the International Astronomical Union named a planet after this author, consultant, and inventor.
Estimated Net Worth
Edward is one of the wealthiest physicians and is ranked among the most popular physicians. Edward de Bono’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million, based on our analysis of Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.