Truth and Misinformation: How to Spot False Narratives (Part 2)

This is Part 2 in a Leading in Context blog series sharing information on how to spot misinformation and false narratives. In case you missed it, Part 1 explored truth and narrative. In Part 2, I will explore how data relates to the truth.

Truth and Misinformation: How to Spot False Narratives (Part 1)

By Linda Fisher Thornton

Sifting through mountains of information, people who want to do the right thing are finding it harder than ever to find the truth. We find ourselves dealing with the challenge of too much information and too little insight. This timely series will explore truth and misinformation. In each post, I will share a different way to spot misinformation and false narratives.

In Part 1, I will explore the concepts of truth and narrative.

Are Ethics and Morals Different?

With my background in Linguistics, I tend to view the divergence of ethics terms (that originally meant the same thing) as a distraction from what we need to know and do. Creating categories and subcategories of ethics may 'carve out new territory' or help us understand ethics at a deeper level, but it also puts more perceived distance between leaders and ethical choices.

Top Post Series of 2019: Leading in Context Blog

By Linda Fisher Thornton

The Top Post Series this year reflects the challenges of applying ethical thinking and decision making to complex problems.

This series answers the important question “How do we analyze and understanding the multiple connected variables in a changing context to make responsible choices? Today I’ll share a quote from each post in the series that will give you a quick overview of the topic.

The Voice of the (Un)Ethical Leader

By Linda Fisher Thornton There is great variation in how leaders "use their voice" in pursuit of their work. Some use it to engage and empower others, others use it to deflect unwanted observations or to create distance that isolates…

Why It’s Time to Stop Saying We’re “Better Than” Other People

It's time to stop telling leaders they will only succeed if they are "better than" the competition. It's time for business schools to stop telling students that they are "better than" their peers in the class or "better than" students in other programs. It's time for teachers and religious leaders to stop telling people they can be "better than" everyone else.

The End of Ethical Compartmentalization

By Linda Fisher Thornton

That Was Then

What people did in their spare time used to be private, allowing them to assume varying personas in their different roles. Someone could be buttoned up and ethical at work, but make really bad decisions elsewhere. People could choose to think about their lives as made up of separate roles that had separate rules.

How Are You Using Your Influence?

By Linda Fisher Thornton With leadership responsibility comes a certain amount of influence. We can impact how people think. We can advise them on the choices they make and invite them to follow our lead. “Leadership is not about titles,…

The Messages Micromanagement Sends

By Linda Fisher Thornton Micromanaging is not just another "leadership style." It harms people. When leaders micromanage, they send many negative messages to employees. Take a look at this list of more than 20 negative unspoken messages micromanagement sends to employees. Can you afford to let it happen in your organization? 

WRIR “Inspire Indeed” Interview

By Linda Fisher Thornton Christa Motley, host of Inspire Indeed at WRIR radio, invited me to the station to talk about the journey to writing my book 7 Lenses and how it is helping people who want to understand ethical…

Respect, Interpreted Part 3

By Linda Fisher Thornton

What exactly does respect look like? It's a question that is difficult to answer, but we need an answer if we are going to be able to help our leadership teams learn how to show it, recognize it, and expect it from others. This week I'm sharing some work I've done that may help. 

The Gut-Brain Axis (Ethical Questions)

By Linda Fisher Thornton

I am a long-time advocate of systems thinking. It has risen in importance as an increasing number of our greatest human challenges can't we understood or resolved without it.

Today, I'm taking a look at new findings on the human microbiome, which is known to impact the brain in important ways. You may have already seen the recent news about advances in our understanding of the Gut-Brain Axis.