Leading in Context

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership

Search Results for: ethical leadership

Ethical Leadership Fuels Adaptability

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

The post “Leader Competence: Will It Be A Multiplier or Divider?” generated some great discussion on social media. Here’s a quote from the post: “Leader competence is either going to be a multiplier or a divider. When you have it, you multiply performance and trust, with exponential results. Without it, you divide your possible results by the incompetence factor.”

After reading the post, one reader requested that I write more on the topic. This week I’m digging deeper into the multiplying and dividing effects of leader (in)competence, looking at how a leader’s ethical competence impacts trust, people, bottom line results and organizational adaptability:

Unethical Leadership: Selective Inclusion

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

I previously wrote about the problem of selective respect and today I’ll address it’s evil twin. It has been happening right in front of us and has been amplified by social media – leaders speaking from a perspective of selective inclusion. This week, I’m sharing a collection of posts that explain the importance of full inclusion and how to recognize examples that stray from it.

What is Ethical Leadership? Part 3

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

In part 3 of this series, I am sharing a clip from my recent talk at the Saint Anselm Center for Ethics in Society that answers the question “What happens when there is a serious conflict between two ethical values?” As you watch, think about the tradeoffs you and your organization have had to manage as you navigated the global pandemic.

What is Ethical Leadership? Part 2

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

Last week I shared a video clip of an overview of all 7 Lenses. This week, in Part 2, I’m sharing my response to the question, “Why haven’t people agreed on one definition of ethical leadership?” from my recent talk at the Saint Anselm Center for Ethics in Society. Think about how many places you’ve seen recent disagreements about “the right thing to do” as you watch.

What is Ethical Leadership? Part 1

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

Which lenses must we look through to be ethical leaders? That is the important question I answered during a recent talk at the Ethics and Governance Forum at The Saint Anselm Center for Ethics in Society. As you watch the video clip overview of the 7 Lenses of Ethical Leadership, think about how you can apply all 7 Lenses in your daily thinking and leadership.

Learning Ethical Leadership: Talent Development Implications

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

Ethical leadership isn’t something we can ever say we’ve fully accomplished. It’s not about arriving at any particular place, or about achieving a certain level of knowledge. Just knowing about ethics and leadership won’t get us very far in an information-flooded, globally shifting, and unpredictable world where we are under time pressure and held accountable for making ethical choices under ever-more-extreme conditions including the current global pandemic.

Defining Characteristics of Unethical Leadership

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

This week I’m sharing posts that clearly describe what unethical leadership looks like, and caution readers about the risks of allowing it to continue. While I have always blogged about proactive ethical leadership, my posts on unethical leadership continue to be some of the most popular, so I know you’re looking for answers.

5 Easy-To-Spot Hallmarks of (Un)Ethical Leadership

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

Quibbling about terminology –the words used to describe unethical behaviors as they are uniquely defined by different groups – just misdirects our attention away from some foundational, easy-to-spot signs of unethical leadership.

Elements of Ethical Leadership Development

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

Ethical leadership development is the ongoing process of guiding leaders to become ethical people and ethical leaders. It is not the same thing as compliance training or legal requirements, although those are also important. This is the human development that happens over time that brings leaders to the point of being able to handle what the world throws at them using ethical thinking and action.

10 Trends Shaping the Future of Ethical Leadership

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

We need to get leadership right because so much depends on it. Many global factors are driving changes in ethical leadership expectations, and in high-stakes times, how we handle ethical leadership development can make or break our success. This week I’ve created a graphic that brings the expectations and priorities into clearer focus.

Unethical Leadership: Beliefs of Convenience

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By Linda Fisher Thornton

Sometimes leaders believe things that aren’t true because they haven’t taken time to investigate the truth. In other cases, they may have trusted someone who has misled them. But there’s an even more problematic reason some leaders may ignore the truth – claiming to believe the falsehood may benefit them in a tangible way.