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.
Category: Ethical Leader
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:
“Ethics” Means Acting Beyond Self-Interest
By Linda Fisher Thornton "Ethics" Means Acting Beyond Self-Interest Ethics is fundamentally about acting beyond our own self-interests. Can we be ethical without considering others and acting in ways that benefit them? Here are some interesting questions and quotes on the subject.
Differences or Inclusion – Which Are We Focusing On?
Diversity can be Divisive When we talk about diversity, we are noticing differences. That may not seem like a profound statement at first, but think about it for a moment. Diversity is about having different types of employees, right? And that's a good thing for productivity and innovation, isn't it? It is a good thing. But it's not enough. Managing diversity without inclusion as the ultimate goal can make a big difference in the way employees experience our organization.
Twitter Helps Leaders “Think Global”
Twitter helps us learn to "think global" in a connected global society. It can transform us and the way we do business. It keeps us current, connects us with a global network of information and provides real-time data. I've sprinkled in some statistics along with my own observations about the learning benefits of Twitter.
What is Unethical Leadership?
Exploring "Unethical Leadership" How do we define unethical leadership? While there are hundreds of stories that illustrate examples of unethical leadership in the news, those stories taken together still do not clearly define the boundaries of what unethical leadership includes
5 More Ways to Avoid the “Rightness” Trap
By Linda Fisher Thornton 5 More Ways to Avoid the "Rightness" Trap The comments kept coming! Here here are 5 More Ways to Avoid the "Rightness" Trap based on social media responses to Is Needing to Be "Right" Unethical? They are each illustrated here with quotes.
10 Ways to Avoid the “Rightness” Trap
10 Ways to Avoid the "Rightness" Trap There were quite a few responses to last week's post about "rightness, Is Needing to Be "Right" Unethical?, which seemed to strike a chord with readers. These are just 10 of the themes raised by readers in their comment. Collectively, these themes represent 10 ways to avoid falling into the "rightness" trap.
Is Needing to Be “Right” Unethical?
by Linda Fisher Thornton We Like to be "Right" Why do we sometimes abandon civility? One reason is that when the discussion gets heated, sometimes we just like to be "right." And sometimes we abandon civility to try to prove that we are.
Civility and Openness to Learning
By Linda Fisher Thornton Author's Note: In a previous post, Civility is an Ethical Issue, I explained why civility is an ethical issue. In this post I'll explore the connection between civility and openness to learning. Moving From Tolerance to Civility in Conversation It seems that "civility" has come to mean something closer to the word "tolerance" in everyday conversation. Civil behavior now seems to imply an aloof stance that doesn't step directly on anyone's toes, but that is not nearly enough. According to W. Jason Wallace, we should be "moral agents" who "share moral relationships."
How Not to Lead Through Conflict
By Linda Fisher Thornton Why do we tend to think that conflict is something negative, something that we must prevent? Why we Need Conflict Experienced leaders have learned that too little conflict in meetings is a warning sign that not all of the important points are being heard.
Why We Need A Strong Moral Center
As we deal with increasing work complexity, connection and speed, we need a strong moral center to guide us. We can think about it as having a strong character, being principle-centered, having integrity, or following an ethical compass. No matter what we call it, we need a strong moral foundation.
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