By Linda Fisher Thornton I recently did an interview with Rachel Salaman for the MindTools Expert Interview Podcast. We had a lively conversation about ethical leadership and the concepts from my book 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership. Click on the graphic below to read the MindTools blog post featuring highlights from that interview and an excerpt of the podcast.
Tag: define ethical leadership
The Rise of Pay to Play
By Linda Fisher Thornton It is sometimes difficult to sort out "pay to play" awards (you pay someone to say good things about you and give you an icon to put on your website) from legitimate awards (the judging process is objective -- if you win you have actually earned it). "Pay to Play" is On the Rise
20 Quotes To Inspire Leaders in the New Year (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Are your leaders prepared for the year ahead? Each day will bring new challenges. To succeed within ethical boundaries, they'll need a clear picture of "good leadership."
This series includes 20 quotes (linked to posts with leadership guidance) to inspire you and help you improve your leader development. Part 1 included the first 10. Here are 10 more:
5 Insights Into Leadership Development Future (Part 4)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
This post is Part 4 in the series "5 Insights Into Leadership Development Future."
The previous posts in the series in case you missed them:
Part 1 on Global Trends
Part 2 on Wholeness
Part 3 on Growth and Human Development
In Part 4, we take a look at positive ethical values and the search for meaning.
What is Ethical Thinking?
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Today I'm taking you inside the mind of the ethical leader to explore ethical thinking.
Inside the Mind of an Ethical Leader
“I make decisions based on values, not money pressures.”
“I need to constantly learn in order to stay ethical.”
Just Say No To 10 Behaviors That Kill Competence
By Linda Fisher Thornton
On the lifelong quest to become our best selves, we must S-T-R-E-T-C-H and grow and learn from our mistakes. Being a flexible and willing learner, we can more easily stay competent as the world changes.
Here are 10 things that we must NEVER do if we are to accomplish the elusive goal of becoming our best selves:
300th Blog Post: Answering Big Questions About Ethical Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton
I have spent the last six years answering the big leadership question "What does it mean to do the right thing?" The support, the unsolicited testimonials and the social shares of this work have been widespread and global. Could it be that the world is ready for a clear answer to this important question? I wrote the book 7 Lenses because I believed that we needed a clear answer to what it meant in a global society. I believed that the answer had to be there, somewhere, if studied the question across disciplines, religions and geographic boundaries. It was a question worth taking on. With a clear understanding of leadership responsibility, and a common language for talking about it, we could get down to business in ways that also improved lives and communities. We could make a powerful positive difference through our leadership.
What is Authentic Leadership?
How Do We Define Authenticity in Leadership?
Most people would agree that authentic leadership is a good thing. But what does it mean? What qualities do authentic leaders possess that set them apart from other leaders?
7 Questions For Ethical Culture Building
By Linda Fisher Thornton
We create organizational culture through strategic choices and daily actions. If we imagine building our culture as creating an elaborate painting, what will we depict on the canvas? Will we work together to carefully paint a background theme of positive values, or will we just give everyone brushes and "see where it goes?"
Full Accountability For Ethics: The New Normal
By Linda Fisher Thornton
I recently blogged about trends in ethical leadership, sharing 10 forces that are fueling a movement toward higher expectations for values-based leadership. Today I want to explore how those trends help explain what we are seeing in ethics cases in the news. Recent headlines have described more severe sanctions than people have seen in the past, in response to ethics problems in sports, politics, business and beyond. Some people may have wondered, "Why are people now being convicted for doing the same things that others before them have done?"
The Trouble With Oversimplified Conversations
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Sometimes in the rush to make a quick leadership decision, we end up "dumbing down" an issue to speed up the process.
"Dumbing down" an issue may make the decision easier to make, but it may also lead us to make choices without considering current information, trends or context. Decisions made that way can cause problems.
It’s Not About Us
By Linda Fisher Thornton
You may have noticed that people's expectations of us as leaders have increased exponentially. Consumers are choosing companies that care about their well-being. Employees are choosing companies that do meaningful work and give back to the community. To survive in this new land where ethics is key to success, we must confront the situation with a clear realization that it is not all about us. As leaders, we are not the center of the universe.
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.
Leading in Context 