Some people think about ethics as a theoretical concept that lives in procedures and regulations, but they're missing the point. Ethics is not just an esoteric concept. It's an actionable responsibility.
Category: Ethical Decision Making
Clarify, Don’t Oversimplify
Many of us are on a quest to simplify our lives, reduce our clutter and improve our focus. This is a positive step that can improve our lives, but it doesn't work at all when applied to our decision making.
Ethics is Acting Beyond Self-Interest
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethics is fundamentally about acting beyond our own self-interests. Can we be ethical without considering others and acting in ways that benefit them?
Beliefs Are Complicated
By Linda Fisher Thornton Part 1 in the Truth and Misinformation: How to Spot False Narratives series explored truth and narrative, and Part 2 examined how data and motives relate to the truth. Part 3 addressed the importance of media literacy. In Part 4, we take a deeper look at truth and belief.
Leadership: Evaluating Ethical Awareness
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical awareness may have been considered private in the past, but it has become easier to observe in a society that is always socially connected. Since ethical reputation is a defining element in individual and organizational success, it is time that we consider ethical awareness as a key element of experience when selecting leaders for our businesses, community organizations, governments, and nations.
17 Leadership Paradoxes
COVID-19 has brought us many challenges including balancing economic and human factors, moving quickly but taking time to show compassion and so on. This Center for Creative Leadership video succinctly introduces 6 paradoxes in the essential leadership skills required in a post-COVID world.
5 Ways to Avoid Opinions That Lack Insight and Understanding
By Linda Fisher Thornton Lately we've been seeing too much content that is not grounded in understanding. Some of it is intentionally misleading and some of it is well-intentioned but misinformed.
Who’s Accountable For Ethical Artificial Intelligence?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Who is accountable for ethical artificial intelligence? How do you build accountability into your organization's use of AI? I was recently invited to answer those questions in a guest blog post published on the EDUCAUSE Professional Development Commons and EDUCAUSE Review. There is much more to think about when implementing AI than just efficiency and time savings. There are ethical implications at every step of the process. This article includes an overview of those ethical implications and steps organizations can take to build ethics into current and future AI projects.
How to Be Human (Together)
By Linda Fisher Thornton This week I'm sharing an edited compilation of three previously published posts that are relevant for leaders and organizations wanting to honor human rights in chaotic times. The first addresses the risk of excluding any humans from our organizational statement of inclusion. The second explains why values transcend borders and boundaries, and the third explains that how we perceive people who are 'different' impacts our behavior and our ethics.
“Ethical Thinking Isn’t Automatic”
"For ethical leadership to stick, the culture needs an infrastructure that consistently supports acting on stated values...Ethical cultures treat ethical thinking as something that must be cultivated, demonstrated, and practiced over time."
Truth and Misinformation: How to Spot False Narratives (Part 4)
By Linda Fisher Thornton To wrap up a recent series of posts about truth, misinformation and how to spot false narratives, here is a summary of key points and questions for discussion.
COVID-19 Response: 12 Resources for Business
By Linda Fisher Thornton It's important to understand the business impact of the Coronavirus challenge when making critical business decisions. A sound understanding of the situation combined with ethical values will help us make leadership decisions that will be good for our customers and the long-term viability of our business.
5 Insights For the Class of 2020
I have a special message for our 2020 graduates. It includes five important life insights that I wish someone had shared with me when I was a new graduate beginning the next chapter of my life.
10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe
While dealing with the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic, we need to remember that good decisions are always made based on values. To confirm what those values are that should guide our choices, this week I'm sharing my Manifesto What Ethical Leaders Believe. This Manifesto frames ethical leadership in clear language, and is shareable under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. It includes 10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe that transform their leadership and their organizations.
5 Ethical Dimensions of IoT Leadership (Part 6)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Part 1 in this series on 5 Ethical Dimensions of IoT Leadership focused on the importance of Ethical Foresight. Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 explored the dimensions of Ethical Design, Legal Compliance. Human Impact. and Evolving Ecosystem. Part 6 will conclude the series with the final dimension - Public Good.
Leading in Context 