Taking Our Thinking Up a Notch Looking at problems in great detail don't usually help us solve them unless we apply specific strategies that make the puzzle as a whole become clearer. Here are strategies that help us move from one level of thinking to another. It may be necessary to apply all of these strategies to solve particularly complex problems:
Category: Ethical Thinking
Making a Difference in the World
There is More to Leadership There is much more to leadership than being at the front of the room during a meeting, or being the one to make the big decisions. I find that the most rewarding part of leadership is making a difference - in people's lives, in the community, or in the world. While making a difference may seem like a lofty goal, consider these examples of how much difference one person on a mission can make:
A Learning Journey That Brings Out Our Best
By Linda Fisher Thornton The Manifesto How is ethical leadership a learning journey? "Ethical leadership transforms profits, people, the planet, communities and the world. Ethical leadership is not something on our to do list that we can check off as completed. It is an ongoing individual and organizational journey. This learning journey will bring out the best in all of us." The Leading in Context® Manifesto
Proactivity, Performance and Potential
By Linda Fisher Thornton The Manifesto This week, I want to continue to explore the mindset behind The Leading in Context® Manifesto. Here is an important quote from it about the positive impact of ethical leadership: "Imagine the potential. What could we accomplish if we proactively developed ethical leaders and an ethical culture? Unleash the performance potential of our people? Transform our organizations? Improve lives and communities? Change the world?"
The Leading in Context® Manifesto
By Linda Fisher Thornton This week I am featuring The Leading in Context® Manifesto - a clear statement of what I believe and the movement I lead. It is a stake in the ground, a powerful statement of how we can build the kind of ethical leadership that builds successful companies, successful communities and a better world. If you like it, please help spread the word.
Ethical Leadership is a Journey
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leadership is a journey, not a destination. Imagine walking for hours toward the distant horizon. No matter how fast or how far you walk, the horizon will always be out there, some distance away from you. The same is true for ethical leadership. No matter how far we go, we never "arrive."
Cultural Competence Required
By Linda Fisher Thornton Openness to learning about other cultures has become a necessary component of leadership. One way to help people respect cultural differences is to build what UNESCO calls "intercultural competence."
Leading in a Systems World
By Linda Fisher Thornton The impact of our leadership decisions is felt far beyond the spaces where we work. The choices that we make may impact people, communities, the environment and society for generations.
The Ethics and Self-Interest Paradox
By Linda Fisher Thornton There was a lively discussion on LinkedIn in response to my post "Ethics" Means Acting Beyond Self-Interest." Readers joined in the discussion and came up with some very interesting observations.
200th Blog Post – Learning at the Speed of Life
By Linda Fisher Thornton In my 150th Blog Post, I wrote about starting a blog and being new to the process of Learning Out Loud. To celebrate my 200th post, I want to reflect on what it's been like to learn new things faster than I ever thought possible. It seems especially clear to me now that we all have capabilities we're not using in our day to day lives. But imagine what could happen if we believed we could make a difference, lurched toward that goal unsteadily, and then just held on for the ride.
Responsibility and Respect (The 4th and 5th R’s)
Children Need to Learn Responsibility and Respect Two key principles (in addition to the 3 R's) that children need to learn in order to to live a successful life are responsibility and respect. As we teach knowledge and information, these areas need to be taught through an ethical frame of reference.
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.
When is a Decision an Ethical One?
By Linda Fisher Thornton As we think about our decisions, which ones do we recognize as "ethical?" Complying with laws and ethics codes clearly has ethical implications. But what about these decisions?
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.
Leading in Context 