Why Does C-Suite Behavior Matter So Much? C-Suite behavior matters because people do what they see the senior leaders do. If employees see dysfunctional behaviors among senior leaders, they assume that there is complete acceptance of those dysfunctional behaviors throughout the organization and see it as a "green light" for them to use those same behaviors whenever they like.
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100 Systems Thinking Resources for Leaders
...Systems and connections are the stuff we and organizations are made of. To begin to solve today's complex problems, systemic and connected thinking is the kind of thinking we need to use.
Redefining Ethical Leadership in a Global Society
As a society, we are beginning to redefine ethical leadership. The change started quietly, fueled by a web of linked communication channels and a desire for a more civil way of dealing with each other.
Judging and Bullying: Are They Different?
What is Judging? If each person's view is different from the views of others, then what is judging? A limited worldview that only allows the views of one person or group Promoting one's own thinking as the "perfection" of thinking An attempt (intentional or not) to make ourselves look smarter by belittling another person or group An attempt to control the behavior and thinking of others or groups
18 Leading in Context® Resources For Building Ethical Cultures
This week's post offers 18 resources that will make ethical leadership easier to understand and implement in your organization. 17 of the 18 tools are free. The list of resources is organized around questions that you may have about how to build an ethical culture.
Leadership and… Conventional Wisdom
Sticking to yesterday's conventional wisdom can make us out-of-date, because it helps us ignore any information that contradicts our beliefs. It can lead us to make decisions based on out-of-date ways of thinking, and that may result in missed opportunities or even to bad decisions that can harm others. In this case, even though we do not set out to make bad decisions, the consequences of those decisions are just as real. BE OPEN TO CHANGE, WILLING TO CHANGE AND WILLING TO THINK DIFFERENTLY!
de Klerk’s Powerful Message: Conquering Fear in The Quest for a Shared Future
I was honored to have the opportunity to hear F. W. de Klerk speak in person last week when he visited the University of Richmond and spoke at the Jepson Leadership Forum about his role in ending apartheid in South Africa. In his remarks he said many powerful things about leadership in a global society. The one that struck a chord with me most was about "radical change."
Leadership and…Making Responsible Choices
5 Ways to Make Responsible Choices. Author's Note: This week's post is designed as a discussion-starter for leader groups and leadership classes. To use it that way, have each leader read the articles in advance, then discuss how to apply the 5 Ways when you gather as a group.
The Ethical Leadership Puzzle: A Broader View
There are companies that are winning categories in one aspect of ethical leadership (CSR, Sustainability, or Human Rights for example) and then being cited for violations in another aspect of ethical leadership (CSR, Sustainability, or Human Rights for example). The fact that it is happening illustrates the point that "ethical leadership" is broader than many companies think it is.
Business Metrics Evolve to Reflect the Need For Meaning
Focusing on financial gains as the desired end result of a business venture creates the impression that profits are more important than the overall impact of the business project. But are profits more important than ethics?
Leadership and…Respect: The New Minimum Standard for Workplace Behavior
This is a Themed Post featuring earlier Leading in Contextâ„¢ Blog Posts about Respect. Each Post illustrates a different way that ethical leaders show respect. Enjoy! Respect is the New Minimum Standard for Workplace Behavior
Ethical Leadership Culture: The Case of the Dissenting Senior Leader
The Impact of the Unethical Senior Leader Take the common case of many organizational leaders trying to create an ethical culture, with one or more of the Senior Leaders not bought in or even blocking their efforts. The distraction, fear and chaos created by an unethical Senior Leader can drain the company of engagement, creativity and productivity. Is blocking a company's efforts to create an ethical culture unethical? You bet. It can be the cause of company failure because of the negative systemic effects that it creates. The systemic effects created by even one Senior Leader leading unethically include loss of trust, loss of employee engagement, loss of customers, lowered productivity, increased complaints, failure of departments to work together, sabotage, blaming, etc... Correct it Quickly When a Senior Leader is operating against the best interests of the company and its stakeholders, the problem needs to be corrected by the other Senior Leaders as quickly as possible. How?
Leadership And…Ethical Thinking
5 Ways to Use Ethical Thinking. This post is designed to be a discussion-starter for leader groups and leadership classes. To use it that way, have each leader read the articles in advance, then discuss what you learned when you gather as a group.
Traps in How We Think About Leading: The Case of Focusing Too Much on Budget
Thinking About Decision-Making and Choosing Filters : Should You Give Back Unused Budget Money? If we don't think about how we want to make leadership decisions, then the crisis of the moment becomes our filter for making decisions. When the economy is unpredictable and profits are lower, the budget is often the crisis that becomes the thinking filter. It's dangerous to make important strategic decisions just based on money and just based on a short-term crisis. In the case below, see how different the outcome is when using strategic long-term thinking versus crisis-response short-term thinking.
5 Unethical Phrases: Low Trust
How we treat people is an important part of ethical leadership. It is also a critical part of building trust in the organization. These 5 phrases signal that the speaker may not be treating other people in the company respectfully and may not be considering the ideas and concerns of others when making decisions:
Leading in Context 