{"id":2455,"date":"2021-06-11T09:16:15","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T09:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpblog.indigobusiness.co.uk\/?p=2455"},"modified":"2024-03-06T11:52:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T11:52:39","slug":"walking-in-the-shadow-of-a-giant-my-career-with-edward-de-bono","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpblog.indigobusiness.co.uk\/walking-in-the-shadow-of-a-giant-my-career-with-edward-de-bono\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking in the shadow of a giant. My career with Edward de Bono."},"content":{"rendered":"

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Edward de Bono \u2013 19th May 1933 – 9th June 2021
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is with great personal sadness that I report that Dr Edward de Bono, a man of infinite talent, brilliance and a close personal friend of mine, has passed away on 9th June 2021.<\/p>\n

Edward de Bono is probably best known for his internationally bestselling book \u2018The Six Thinking Hats<\/em>\u2019. A book that has literally changed the way many millions of people think \u2013 giving us techniques that are used by Governments, multinational businesses and even taught in schools to future generations today.<\/p>\n

Born in 1933, he quickly found his place amongst some of the world\u2019s most brilliant brains \u2013 graduating as a doctor from the University of Malta, before studying Physiology and Psychology at Oxford University, then on to a PhD at Cambridge University.<\/p>\n

Among the first of his 85+ books published was \u201cThe Use of Lateral Thinking<\/em>\u201d, in which he coined the term Lateral Thinking<\/em>. He continued to challenge our current ways of debating, thinking and innovation \u2013 insisting that creative thinking was not the preserve of \u201ccreative types\u201d, but a skill that can be learnt, practised and harnessed by anyone that uses his techniques.<\/p>\n

But aside from the public persona, there was far more to the man than his prolific writing. And when I say prolific, I recall the times he would disembark from a long-haul flight with a completed manuscript for another book in hand!\u00a0 He was not short of ideas!<\/p>\n

I am proud to say that I first met Edward 24 years ago, as a newly graduated, fresh-faced consultant working for his then UK distributors. One of my first assignments was to manage our stand at the HRD London show, where Edward was the opening speaker. What a baptism of fire!\u00a0 He kindly agreed to a book signing on our stand after his presentation.\u00a0 I watched in awe as the queue stretched around the periphery of the entire conference hall. People waiting up to an hour for a few seconds with the great man.<\/p>\n

Since this first meeting, I founded www.indigobusiness.co.uk<\/a><\/strong> and am proud to say we have spent the last 20 years as his UK distributor.\u00a0 Our army of brilliant de Bono Consultants change the way companies all over the world think. It\u2019s been a truly amazing journey. But away from the bright lights of the conference stages, I am reminded of three abiding characteristics that sum Edward for me.<\/p>\n