Why is it such a challenge to determine how we interpret "ethical leadership?" Because there are many different ways of determining what we consider to be ethical. Even while trying to be responsible we can still miss the mark by a mile. Consider some of the possible ways that a leader might interpret ethics.
Category: Ethical Thinking
Curiosity and Imagination Necessary Ingredients in Ethical Business
What happens in business environments where curiosity and imagination flourish? How are curiosity and imagination related to ethics and business leadership? How are curiosity and imagination important in today's business environment?
Planned Addiction: Based on A Narrow View of Ethical Responsibility
Chemicals that alter the brain and other human systems are still frequently being used in food and drink in place of natural ingredients, even though research is showing that they cause major harm to human health. Some of those chemicals alter the brain's ability to signal that the stomach is full, leading to inability to control cravings.
Food Ethics: The Delicate Balance of Nature and Nutrition
We are learning through research that nutrition is more complex and delicately balanced than we had thought. Changing foods or using only part of a food that we think of as healthy may change the health benefits drastically.
100 Systems Thinking Resources for Leaders
...Systems and connections are the stuff we and organizations are made of. To begin to solve today's complex problems, systemic and connected thinking is the kind of thinking we need to use.
Leadership and… Conventional Wisdom
Sticking to yesterday's conventional wisdom can make us out-of-date, because it helps us ignore any information that contradicts our beliefs. It can lead us to make decisions based on out-of-date ways of thinking, and that may result in missed opportunities or even to bad decisions that can harm others. In this case, even though we do not set out to make bad decisions, the consequences of those decisions are just as real. BE OPEN TO CHANGE, WILLING TO CHANGE AND WILLING TO THINK DIFFERENTLY!
Leadership and…Making Responsible Choices
5 Ways to Make Responsible Choices. Author's Note: This week's post is designed as a discussion-starter for leader groups and leadership classes. To use it that way, have each leader read the articles in advance, then discuss how to apply the 5 Ways when you gather as a group.
Leadership And…Ethical Thinking
5 Ways to Use Ethical Thinking. This post is designed to be a discussion-starter for leader groups and leadership classes. To use it that way, have each leader read the articles in advance, then discuss what you learned when you gather as a group.
Traps in How We Think About Leading: The Case of Focusing Too Much on Budget
Thinking About Decision-Making and Choosing Filters : Should You Give Back Unused Budget Money? If we don't think about how we want to make leadership decisions, then the crisis of the moment becomes our filter for making decisions. When the economy is unpredictable and profits are lower, the budget is often the crisis that becomes the thinking filter. It's dangerous to make important strategic decisions just based on money and just based on a short-term crisis. In the case below, see how different the outcome is when using strategic long-term thinking versus crisis-response short-term thinking.
Ethical Thinking: 5 Questions to Ponder for the New Year
As we approach the New Year, it is a great time to consider the broader implications of our leadership behavior and decisions. Here are 5 questions to ponder and a bonus question with a story.
Leading in Context LLC Publishes “Ethical Implications of How Leaders Perceive Different” Module
“Ethical Implications of How Leaders perceive Different” is a nine-page eBook designed to enhance leadership development programs by providing a thinking context for ethical leadership. Published by Leading in Context LLC.
Sustainable Everything: What C-Suite Leaders Need to Know About the New Thinking
The growing sustainability mindset is not industry-specific or topic-specific. It is showing up in industries as diverse as foods, fashion and construction. While some industries are tending to dismiss this change in consumer behavior as a trend that will pass, others have realized that the movement is deeply rooted and that they will be at a competitive disadvantage if they don't respond.
Scrutinize Suppliers for Ethical Business Practices
The ethics of our business includes things that don't happen at headquarters or in any of our sites, but that go into the the making of the final product or service that the customer purchases. Prudent leaders check the ethics of their suppliers and partners.
Ethical Leadership Thinking: When we Attack an Issue
When solving a difficult problem, it's easy to get carried away and begin attacking people instead of the problem. When we attack issues, we are more respectful. When we attack people, our thinking narrows.
Case Study: Think Before You Blame (the Culture May be the Cause)
When we are faced with a business problem that involves ethics, the easy way out is to blame someone. That appears to remove the pressure of actually solving the problem. But organizational problems are complicated and rarely have one simple cause.
Leading in Context 