Lateral thinking has been an essential tool for many companies around the world to make decisions in a more creative and innovative way. Edward de Bono is one of the most prominent thinkers in this area, and has developed several lateral thinking techniques, including his renowned book “6 Thinking Hats”. In this post, I explain how you can use Edward de Bono’s 6 hats methodology to develop good leadership.
EDWARD DE BONO’S 6 HATS IS A TECHNIQUE THAT INVOLVES WEARING DIFFERENT COLORED HATS TO REPRESENT DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINKING. Each hat has a specific focus and helps leaders consider different perspectives when making decisions.
- WHITE HAT: The white hat focuses on facts and information. Leaders who wear this hat focus on objective data and available information before deciding. This helps leaders make decisions based on evidence rather than intuition or emotion. It gives them an eminently rational approach to their leadership development.
- RED HAT: The red hat focuses on emotions and intuition. Leaders who wear this hat consider how the people involved in the decision will feel and how they will react emotionally to it. This helps leaders understand the emotional implications of their decision and take steps to minimize any negative impact.
- BLACK HAT: The black hat is about critical thinking and analysis. Leaders who wear this hat focus on identifying the potential risks and downsides of the decision. This helps leaders evaluate the decision from all angles and minimize the risk of making the wrong decision.
- YELLOW HAT: This hat focuses on positive thinking and optimization. Leaders wearing this hat focus on identifying the potential benefits and opportunities of the decision. This helps leaders have a positive attitude toward the decision and maximize the benefits that can be gained from it.
- GREEN HAT: The green hat focuses on creativity and innovation. Leaders who wear this hat focus on finding new ways to approach the problem and identifying creative and unique solutions. This helps leaders think outside the box and develop innovative ideas that can make a difference.
- BLUE HAT: The blue hat focuses on control and organization. Leaders who wear this hat oversee guiding the discussion and ensuring that all important aspects are covered before deciding. This helps leaders maintain control of the situation and ensure that the final decision is made in an informed and balanced manner.
In summary, Edward de Bono’s 6 hats are a valuable tool for leaders who want to make informed and balanced decisions. I recommend that, with some frequency, you use this technique to enhance your leadership. Identify one of the main challenges you face as a leader and analyze the best solution by thinking as if you were wearing each of the 6 hats. Contemplate these 6 different points of view. It is sure to surprise you and help you make better decisions to empower your leadership. Because as Edward de Bono said, “Creativity consists of breaking the established schemes to see things in a different way”.
