By Linda Fisher Thornton Today I'm sharing hand-picked resources about how to build an ethical culture. The most recent one was just published this week by Government Executive magazine. They acknowledge complexity, and are based on performance improvement and ethical principles. This collection provides practical advice for how to build high trust cultures and keep the ethics conversation alive. Use it to create workplaces where people thrive and where "ethical" is a way of life.
Category: Trends
5 Reports Say Business Ethics is Improving
By Linda Fisher Thornton What do Deloitte, Strategy & PwC, Dow Jones, The Ethics Resource Center and LRN have to say about trends in business ethics? Get ready for some good news:
10 Forces Fueling the Values-Based Leadership Movement
By Linda Fisher Thornton I believe that values-based leadership is gaining momentum. Recently I was asked to explain why I think so, and I thought I would share my answer in today's blog post. Values-based leadership is gaining momentum, and it's fueled by a convergence of positive trends. Here are a number of trends that I see that are working together to fuel the movement toward leading with positive values. They are coming from various directions and perspectives, all leading toward positive, proactive values-based leadership.
Ethics Isn’t Finite: It’s Evolving
By Linda Fisher Thornton As we strive to build ethical organizations, we must remember that our target is moving. As the world changes, ethical expectations change. It would be easier to develop ethical leaders and build ethical organizations if ethics were a fixed destination. A point on the map. A line in the sand. But it's just not that simple. Ethical expectations are evolving.
5 Leadership Development Priorities
By Linda Fisher Thornton The recent post "It's Not About Us" was the most popular post of all time on the Leading in Context Blog. It described how our understanding of leadership has moved beyond a focus on the leader to a focus on creating shared value for others.
Well-Being is Trending
By Linda Fisher Thornton Have you noticed that well-being is trending? It's not enough to provide fair pay and good work conditions any more. People want to participate in something meaningful and work in high-trust cultures where they can flourish. They seek out companies that care about their well-being.
Got Ethics? Are You Positive?
In spite of all the bad news you see in the media about ethics, we don't build ethical cultures by focusing on the negative. Let's face it - thinking about fraud, embezzlement and conflict of interest won't make us better leaders. But that's what many of us are focusing on in our organizations.
Case Study: Overwhelmed
Have you ever gone to your manager to ask for help prioritizing your tasks? Usually we try to avoid it, and do it as a last resort, when we are overwhelmed. It may surprise you to know that how they answer gives us a clue about their ethics and values.
How Do We Achieve Corporate Integrity?
By Linda Fisher Thornton In the quest for corporate integrity, we must do a number of things well. We need to have clear expectations for what ethical leadership looks like in our organization; we need a congruent system for managing ethics that sends a consistent message; and we need a clear message about what taking responsibility for ethics really means to us. There is an ethics trend away from a "push" mentality when it comes to learning about ethics (making people do it) to a "pull" mentality (making it positive so that people will want to do it). Taking on that "pull mentality" involves creating a positive ethical environment:
How Current is My Message About Ethics?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical expectations are continually increasing, and it is not always easy for leaders to keep up with the changes. This week, I'm sharing an assessment to help you answer the question "How current is my message about ethics?"
100 Trends For 2014 (Including Responsibility and Reputation)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Staying competent is an important part of today's proactive ethical leadership. As we head into 2014, the trend reports at the links below will give you a "business leader's preview" of what to expect in sectors that range from consumer trends, human resources, leadership and marketing to food, and technology. Enjoy!
16 Trends Shaping the Future of Ethical Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton Today, I want to share with you the picture of the future that I see, based on a powerful movement toward positive, proactive ethical leadership. As a global community, we are increasingly aware of the impact of our choices on others. We are more aware of our human connection and our responsibilities to one another. There is a trend toward considering our responsibilities broadly, beyond making profits to also making a difference. As we head into the New Year, let's help our leaders be ready for this positive, proactive "ethical leadership future."
What Ethical Leaders Believe
By Linda Fisher Thornton ChangeThis.com is an 800ceoread project for "spreading good ideas and changing business thinking for the better." I am honored that today they published my Manifesto about ethical thinking. This Manifesto begins with an Aristotle quote "We are what we repeatedly do" and then asks us to think hard about what we repeatedly do. "Is our thinking on autopilot?" "Is that autopilot programmed to make ethical decisions?"
Bringing Out the Best in People and Organizations
After 4 years of researching and writing, I am proud to announce that my new book, 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership is in print! 7 Lenses proposes a framework for learning the kind of ethical leadership that brings out the best in people and organizations. It is written for leaders who want to build ethical companies and cultures, stronger communities and a better world. It provides a road map for learning how to lead in ways that fully honor personal, interpersonal and societal dimensions of ethical responsibility. The four-quadrant model and case studies give readers a clear picture of the kind of ethical leadership we need.
Leadership Responsibility: The Movement
Leadership responsibility is multidimensional, and cannot be described in one or two words. Fortunately, that level of complexity is not stopping a number of leaders and organizations from taking the lead in demonstrating what it means to take responsibility in leadership.
Leading in Context 