By Linda Fisher Thornton One of the things we know about ethical decision-making is that we need to take the time to do it. But if we fill up every minute of the day with meetings, deadlines, emails and projects, when will we have time to think about the impact of our choices?
Category: Ethical Leader
5 Things Grateful Leaders Do
Today I'm exploring two important questions: "What do grateful leaders do that sets them apart from other leaders?" and "How does expressing gratitude benefit them?
Context Matters: What We’re Learning About Food
By Linda Fisher Thornton A day when so many people eat too much candy seems just right for sharing new research that turns conventional wisdom on healthy eating inside out. This new research will begin to change the thinking and practices of the food and restaurant industries. Here is a sneak preview:
The Seductive Power of the Status Quo
By Linda Fisher Thornton Why do we have such a powerful negative reaction when we find out that we need to change? The status quo literally has a grip on us.
Ethical Thinking Requires Dialogue
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leadership requires us to understand the context and embrace the natural complexity of issues. One of the pieces that we can't be successful without is learning from the widely varying perspectives of others.
5 Things I Learned From a 6th Grade Bully
By Linda Fisher Thornton October is Bullying Prevention Month. Most of the people I know were bullied at some point in their lives. As I look back on dealing with a 6th grade bully, I realize that I learned some things from that difficult time. Today I share that story along with resources for preventing bullying.
MindTools Expert Interview Podcast With Linda Fisher Thornton
By Linda Fisher Thornton I recently did an interview with Rachel Salaman for the MindTools Expert Interview Podcast. We had a lively conversation about ethical leadership and the concepts from my book 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership. Click on the graphic below to read the MindTools blog post featuring highlights from that interview and an excerpt of the podcast.
70 Trends to Watch in 2019
By Linda Fisher Thornton Each year I curate a list of sites that write about trends that will change how we do business in the coming year. This year's list includes some ongoing trends from last year and some fresh ideas and new directions. Take a look at the 70+ trends at the links below and start getting ready for what's ahead!
The Mind Must Move
By Linda Fisher Thornton We know that to stay healthy, we have to move. Many of us wear wrist bands that track the number of steps we take daily to make sure we "stay in the healthy zone." I have been increasing my steps each year, and have enjoyed more energy and a sense of improved well-being. While we can easily track our physical steps, our mental steps are more elusive.
Grey Areas: Our Choices Define Us (Part 3)
By Linda Fisher Thornton There will always be grey areas that aren't covered by the ethics code. In grey areas, leaders "paint the boundary" of ethical choices others will make by how they navigate the ethical complexity when the boundaries are not clear. Part 3 of this series Grey Areas: Our Choices Define Us includes cases to get you talking about interpersonal grey areas, and related articles for learning.
What is Meaningful Leadership? – 4 Common Threads
By Linda Fisher Thornton What is meaningful leadership? I recently wrote a 5 part blog series exploring different facets of that question... There are four common threads that emerged from exploring the topic that I want to share today.
Seeing Beyond Borders and Walls
By Linda Fisher Thornton When you make a commitment to ethical values and ethical choices, boundaries and walls only indicate the boundaries of new places to apply those ethical values and choices. Beyond them, ethical values matter just as much…
Where Ethics Should Be
By Linda Fisher Thornton We need to be talking about where ethics should be... how and where it fits into real life. Too many leaders and organizations have crossed ethical boundaries and that seems to be all we're seeing in the…
Grey Areas: Our Choices Define Us (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton This post is an updated version of a reader favorite. There Will Always Be Grey Areas There will always be ethical grey areas. We see plenty of information about lying, cheating, stealing and other obvious ethical violations. It is more difficult to know what to do when we encounter behaviors that fall into ethical grey areas, particularly in term of relationships with other people. Grey areas are difficult for anyone to handle but leaders bear the additional weight of needing to set the tone for the organization. Each decision impacts the ethics of the organization.
What is Meaningful Leadership? (Part 5)
By Linda Fisher Thornton What is Meaningful Leadership? Making a Difference By Building a Better Society For the Future In Part 1 of this series we looked at how leaders generate meaningful environments where others can thrive. In Part 2 we explored a leader's own quest for authenticity. In Part 3 we looked at the role of powerful conversations and a focus on relational ROI. In Part 4, we examined how meaningful leadership requires truth-seeking based on ethical values. In Part 5 we'll take a look at how meaningful leadership makes a difference by building a better society for the future. Meaningful leadership sees the world in terms of building a better future together. The important focus on together requires not drawing lines around "better" or "worse" people or creating "in" and "out" groups.
Leading in Context 