By Linda Fisher Thornton While I specialize in positive, proactive ethical leadership, I frequently get asked questions about unethical leadership. In particular, readers ask about the damage that toxic leaders do in organizations and what situations and circumstances lead to ethical failures. Today I'm sharing posts about unethical leadership that may answer your deep questions about what leadership looks like when it is NOT ethical:
Category: Ethical Leader
5 More Reasons to Pay Attention To Trust
By Linda Fisher Thornton Trust is a hot topic and a valuable business enabler. The organizations that will adapt and succeed in the future make it a business priority. Here are five perspectives on the critical role trust building plays in the success of our organizations:
Is Ethics a Body of Knowledge? (No! It’s a Process of Human Growth.)
By Linda Fisher Thornton If you think ethical awareness is about knowledge and learning, think again. Knowledge and learning are only useful in ethics if we are open to receiving them, open to shifting our perspective, and open to changing our minds.
Leaders: Check Your Motivation, Your Authenticity and Your Ethics
By Linda Fisher Thornton If we are leading others, we need to be asking the questions of leadership - about our motivation, our authenticity and our ethics.
Are You Approachable?
By Linda Fisher Thornton The pace of change is out of control in the workplace. Have any of you learned more than three new software programs this week? Have you had to deliver on deadline in spite of being completely new to a project? Have you struggled to get the attention of colleagues when you need their input, only to find that they are too busy to make the time to meet?
Where Is Ethical Leadership Found?
By Linda Fisher Thornton While it may be convenient to think about ethical leadership as a task, a program, or a rule book, that's not where it lives.
Reader Question: Why Did You Include Profit as One of the 7 Lenses?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Recently, a 7 Lenses reader told me she loved the leadership book but she had one question - "Why did I include Profit in the 7 Lenses?" This is a question that has come up before, so I will address it in today's post.
What is Positive Leadership?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Positive leadership is a new term that is popping up regularly in articles. What does it mean? What kind of leadership do we describe as positive?
Ethical and Unethical Sales Leadership: What’s The Difference?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Unfriendly Sales Techniques Times are still tight for consumers and salespeople are concerned about their jobs. It seems that is more tempting now than it would be in a booming economy to use high-pressure tactics or other unfriendly approaches in order to get business. And pushy, unfriendly sales techniques stand out even more in difficult economic times. Customers will go out of their way to avoid companies that use them. Some unfriendly approaches that I have observed recently include:
5 Warning Signs Of Oversimplified Ethics
By Linda Fisher Thornton Leaders and organizations can get into real trouble if they oversimplify ethics. Some examples of what that might look like include lonely ethics statements (that look good on paper but are not brought to life) and grand statements (that are vague and not well understood). Here are 5 warning signs to watch for that signal an oversimplified approach to ethics:
Hitting the High Notes
By Linda Fisher Thornton When I was singing with a local chorus, I took some voice lessons. My teacher had me start by singing scales while she listened. After my voice cracked, I explained that I had trouble "hitting the high notes." I explained that I was an Alto, not a Soprano and the high notes seemed way out of my reach.
Webinar “Leading For the Future”
By Linda Fisher Thornton Many leaders wonder how to prepare for an uncertain future - one that is filled with complexity, changing expectations and an increasing global awareness about ethical responsibility. On October 13, 2015 I will be presenting a webinar…
Just Say No To 10 Behaviors That Kill Competence
By Linda Fisher Thornton On the lifelong quest to become our best selves, we must S-T-R-E-T-C-H and grow and learn from our mistakes. Being a flexible and willing learner, we can more easily stay competent as the world changes. Here are 10 things that we must NEVER do if we are to accomplish the elusive goal of becoming our best selves:
Finding Meaning Requires Growth
By Linda Fisher Thornton When Nicolae Tanase at ExcellenceReporter.com asked me to submit an entry for his Meaning of Life project, I hesitated. It was a question I had often thought about. But it was a big one, and I wasn't sure I was ready to tackle it publicly. After thinking it over, I decided that the question was related to my work in human development and leadership, and that a clear answer could be valuable to readers.
Which Values Are Ethical Values?
By Linda Fisher Thornton My Applied Ethics students asked a great question that I want to answer in today's post: "Which Values Are Ethical Values?" Quick Overview Not all values are ethical values. Some values, such as efficiency, do not have an ethical component. Some ethical values involve qualities of an ethical self (such as honesty and integrity). Others describe positive and ethical behavior toward others, the environment and society.
Leading in Context 