The 6 Thinking Hats

As leaders, we must think about our thinking.

It’s sounds a bit meta, but it’s true. Leaders add value when we think clearly and carefully about issues, problems, or ideas - and then act appropriately.

Many leaders we’ve invested in struggle to know how to think about their thinking processes. One of the most important mental models I’ve come across is Edward deBono’s 6 Thinking Hats. Every problem, idea, initiative, or issue needs to be approached from six different perspectives. deBono recommends we wear different colored “thinking hats” in order to understand the issue fully: 

·       White: facts and data

·       Yellow: benefits and value that could be added

·       Black: risk, issues, problems, and difficulties (aka the risk management hat)

·       Red: feelings, gut instincts, and intuition

·       Green: creative possibilities (“what if we…”)

·       Blue: the meta-thinking used to manage the thinking process

I’ve used this process countless times to think of creative ideas, solve problems, or discern if we should launch a new initiative. You can read more on deBono’s site. And if you want to take a deeper dive, check out his book.   

Leaders: let’s be thoughtful about not just what we think, but also how we think - and deBono’s 6 Thinking Hats model can help us do that well.