Dealing with work complexity has become a major leadership development issue. And it has ethical implications. As our work becomes more complex, so do our ethical dilemmas.
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“Dial it Back” (Over-Solving Problems Can Be Unethical)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Sometimes out of fear, convenience, profit (or marketing promises) we use a solution that goes way beyond what is necessary to solve the problem. There are broad ethical implications of over-solving problems, and this post will explore some of them.
Ethical Voices on Service
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethics is fundamentally about thinking beyond ourselves, and service is an extension of that thinking. Service in leadership involves dedicating ourselves to the success of others.
Compliance With Laws Isn’t Ethical Leadership (There’s More)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Beyond Compliance I have intentionally avoided using the C-word (Compliance) in most of my posts, and I decided that it was time to explain why. In this post I'll explain why laws are not enough, and why complying with laws does not mean that we are leading ethically.
What Variables Impact How Freely We Extend Trust?
By Linda Fisher Thornton The recent post Should Trust Be Freely Offered or Conditionally Earned? generated lively discussions in LinkedIn Groups about extending trust when we meet someone new. It was clear from the discussions that trust has many different dimensions, and that those dimensions are perceived differently by different people.
How Is Ethical Leadership a Strategic Advantage?
Businesses that are proactive and that make ethical leadership a priority will benefit in many ways. Here are three of the many ways that ethical leadership helps us compete:
Top 12 Reader Favorites 2012
By Linda Fisher Thornton These 12 posts published in 2012 were the most popular with Leading in Context Blog followers. They all provide a context for thinking about how to make ethical choices in a complex world.
Should Trust Be Freely Offered or Conditionally Earned?
When we meet someone new, should we trust them right away? Should we assume that they are trustworthy and give them the benefit of the doubt, or should we hold back until we are sure that they are worthy of our trust?
13 Leadership Temptations (to Conquer in 2013)
By Linda Fisher Thornton 13 Leadership Temptations To Conquer In 2013 We're starting a new year, with fresh possibilities, and it is a good time to think about our leadership values. What do we believe? How do we treat others? What matters to us? Can people determine our values just by watching how we treat people? As we think about how we want to lead this year, we need to recognize that it is tempting to make easy short-term decisions that end up having ethical consequences in the long run.
Wishing You Peace
The Peace Paradox In this season of joy, it seems like a good time to reflect on what I call "The Peace Paradox." Peace is one of those things that requires reaching out. Just as we must extend trust to receive it from others, we must extend peace in order to receive it.
What Does Respect Look Like?
By Linda Fisher Thornton The Evolving Graphic This graphic is a revision of one originally published on April 27, 2011 and includes multiple changes based on reader feedback. It was created to help leaders visualize what respectful and ethical behavior…
Our Thinking is an “Ethical Driver”
What we think influences how we behave. We could even say that our thinking is in essence an "ethical driver" in that it affects the other variables that make up our leadership. Here are some examples of how our thinking influences our ethics as leaders:
100 Trends to Watch For 2013
By Linda Fisher Thornton 100 Trends to Watch For 2013 As we head into 2013, the trend reports at the links below will give you a "business leader's preview" of what to expect in sectors that range from consumer trends,…
10 Thinking Traps (That Ethical Leaders Avoid)
Avoid These 10 Thinking Traps What are some of the thinking traps that we fall into as leaders? I'm not referring to "correlation versus causation" and other logical reasoning problems. There are some common ways of thinking about business leadership that…
Honoring Human Rights is Essential
by Linda Fisher Thornton Human Rights and Morality Business leaders have a clear responsibility to honor universal human rights. In their article The Moral Foundations of Ethical Leadership in the Values Based Leadership Journal, Hester and Killian remind us that…
Leading in Context 