By Linda Fisher Thornton Why is controlling leadership so harmful in organizations? There are a number of powerful reasons that have ethical implications:
Category: Ethical Leader
15 Ways to Encourage Moral Growth in Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton Moral Growth Is a Lifelong Pursuit Moral education needs to start early, and it also needs to continue throughout our professional careers. Unlocking Moral Awareness How can we help leaders develop the moral thinking and awareness that they need to make good leadership choices? What specific conversations and experiences will support moral development?
8 Posts (And a Trend Report) On Global Thinking
By Linda Fisher Thornton Using globally-informed thinking helps us succeed in a connected economy and a global society. This week, I decided to corral a collection of posts that help us understand ethical leadership in a global context.
Which of These Is Ethical Leadership?
Which levels described in this graphic represent ethical leadership? Is Following Laws Ethical Leadership?
5 Things It’s Safe to Say To An Ethical Leader
You would need the 5 leaf clover pictured above to keep you out of trouble if you were to say these things to someone without strong ethical leadership. But these 5 things are pretty safe to say to an ethical leader.
Dealing With Complexity in Leadership
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.
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.
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:
Leading in Context 