By Linda Fisher Thornton When Thinking is Starved For Context and Complexity Think about how easy it is to start using shallow breathing without being aware that we're doing it. This can happen when we're stressed or anxious, and it can impact our well-being. We may be unaware that we are using shallow breathing until someone notices we're turning pale and tells us to BREATHE. When we use shallow thinking, that similarly impacts the "well-being" of our decision making, leading us to false conclusions and ethically problematic decisions. It's almost as if when we use shallow thinking, our decision making is getting less oxygen. We can medically treat people who are having trouble breathing. But what do we do about thinking that is starved for context and complexity?
Category: Ethical Thinking
Healthy Media Consumption
By Linda Fisher Thornton I've blogged about how to spot fake news and variables complicating media ethics. Today I'll explore the characteristics healthy media consumption. Let's begin with a dose of healthy skepticism. Healthy Skepticism You can't believe everything you see. Photographs and videos that appear to be "proof" of a story may have been altered. Your best best is to choose your sources of information carefully so that you can reasonably be assured that what you are seeing and hearing is real.
On Patriotism, Nationalism, Globalism and Ethics
By Linda Fisher Thornton I teach global leadership and applied ethics and my students often have questions about the differences between patriotism, nationalism and globalism. This post will explore the differences and their ethical implications.Â
5 Insights For the Class of 2019
By Linda Fisher Thornton I have a special message for our 2019 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.
The Willingness to Admit We’re Wrong
By Linda Fisher Thornton We've all been wrong. It's only when we are willing to admit that we're wrong that we show what this John Templeton Foundation video describes as "intellectual humility." This video, titled "The Joy of Being Wrong" is a compelling visual portrayal of the process of being willing to admit we're wrong, and it describes the many personal and social benefits that result.
Unethical Thinking Leads To Unethical Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton As humans, we are flawed thinkers who fall victim to biases and traps. The biases and traps we so easily fall into reshape our thinking in ways that can lead us to make bad decisions.
Uncomfortable Learning
By Linda Fisher ThorntonI'm generally a fan of uncomfortable learning. I believe that "uncomfortable" is sometimes a necessary part of the natural processes of learning and growth. Facilitators and teachers sometimes leverage it to help people get past outdated mindsets or to shake up and resolve conflicts.
Global Ethics: TMP Challenge 15
By Linda Fisher ThorntonI participate in a global think tank called The Milennium Project (TMP). As an invited reviewer, my focus is on Global Challenge 15: Global Ethics. Participants submit their observations on trends, help define the biggest problems and areas of opportunity and submit input on how to improve the course of Global Ethics.The Milennium Project has produced a short video summarizing the global conversations on each topic. It details the global input on the most prevalent concerns and opportunities related to global ethics.
How Is Critical Thinking Different From Ethical Thinking?
By Linda Fisher ThorntonEthical thinking and critical thinking are both important and it helps to understand how we need to use them together to make decisions.Â
Shallow Thinking
By Linda Fisher ThorntonThe question of the day is "How does "shallow thinking" leads to ethical mistakes?" By shallow thinking, I mean thinking that is limited in breadth and depth. Think about taking a stroll on the beach as you read the characteristics of shallow thinking below. Think about how these characteristics describe the kind of thinking that leads to ethical mistakes and decision gridlock.Â
Interview on the Leveraging Thought Leadership Podcast
By Linda Fisher ThorntonToday I'm sharing my recent interview with Peter Winick on the Leveraging Thought Leadership Podcast. We had an interesting conversation about my journey including how I got my start, challenges I faced and "growing into" this important work.
Ethical Thinking For Challenging Times
By Linda Fisher ThorntonAlbert Einstein said "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Yet many leaders try to unravel increasingly complex issues using the same thinking process they have always used.Â
Research: Moving Beyond Cause-and-Effect Thinking
By Linda Fisher Thornton
The traditional view of research in the U.S. has been that something has to be proven to a statistically significant degree using established research procedures. It should be able to be replicated to confirm that the results are accurate and true. The problem is that established research procedures generally call for isolating one thing at a time to prove cause and effect, but we live in a world of complex, connected systems.
Mindset or Competency: Which is More Important?
By Linda Fisher Thornton
How we think about something will impact what we do about it. To be ready to handle difficult challenges, our thinking needs to stretch to help us adapt. Nick Petrie, Center For Creative Leadership, writes in Vertical Leadership Development Part I that "In terms of leadership, the stage from which you are thinking and acting matters a lot. To be effective, the leader’s thinking must be equal or superior to the complexity of the environment." An "Un-Fixed" MindsetThe environment is constantly changing and increasing in complexity. When we change our thinking, we change our capacity. Capability, or what we can do, is still important, but it won't get us far if we're using an outdated mindset.Â
They’re Trying to Tell Us Something
By Linda Fisher ThorntonSince I started researching ethical leadership, I have begun to notice just how many different people are trying to steer us in the right direction. Their ethical messengers cross geographic and time boundaries and professions. The messages they leave are compelling. They are trying to tell us something important.The messages are packaged in a multitude of different ways including books, music, quotes and stories. People who have realized important insights about ethics are leaving a trail for others to follow. But to follow, we have to notice.
Leading in Context 