By Linda Fisher Thornton What is meaningful leadership? In Part 1 we explored how leaders create meaningful work settings so others can excel. In Part 2, we look at a leader's own quest for authenticity as a factor in meaningful leadership. What is Meaningful Leadership? A Quest For Authenticity Meaningful leadership is focused on authenticity, not just acquisition. That requires seeing beyond just portfolio growth to human growth. It means learning to see how the two are connected.
Tag: ethical leader
The Future of Education: Ethical Literacy For Handling Global Complexity
By Linda Fisher Thornton We are not preparing students for success in the world where they will have to live and work. Some of the ways we currently think about "teaching" need to be scrapped and replaced. It will be increasingly important that teachers and other learning guides dig into complexity in order to help prepare students who need to handle increasing complexity in their lives and work. A focus on "knowing" must be replaced with a focus on "how to think, problem solve and successfully navigate global complexity using ethical values."
What is Ethics?
By Linda Fisher Thornton We are globally connected and becoming more aware of the complexity of our connections. We need a robust understanding of ethics - what it means, what it requires of us, and what we need to know and do to be ethical. As we learn about ethics, we need to understand it in a multidimensional way. One-dimensional definitions lead us down a single path and prevent us from seeing our broad responsibilities as citizens and leaders. Here is a quick tour of ways to think about ethics.
Trust: The Force That Drives Results
By Linda Fisher Thornton When leaders trust and are trustworthy, this brings out their best and fuels a virtuous cycle that brings out the best in others and releases the potential of the organization for great performance. Ethical Leaders Are Trustworthy and They Choose to Trust Others When we choose to trust, we access a higher level of capacity in ourselves and our organizations. When we are consistently trustworthy, people know they can count on us to support their success. How Does Trust Drive Results? Once thought by business leaders to be "soft," trust is now proven to be a "results-changer." Here is a sampling of the many ways trust transforms organizations:
Ethical Leaders Don’t Put the Brakes on Learning
By Linda Fisher Thornton When leaders stop learning, they generate friction. Professionals who work with a leader who has "put the brakes on learning" are likely to experience conflict and dissatisfaction. A leader's failure to learn starts a chain reaction that harms individuals and teams.
Guest Interview: Stay On Top Of Your Work Podcast
By Linda Fisher Thornton This week you can listen to a brand new interview I did with Kate Kurzawska, host of the Timecamp Stay on Top of Your Work Podcast!
Dealing With Complexity? Use Ethical Thinking (Guest Post)
By Linda Fisher Thornton We all need better ways to deal with difficult situations. Thinking on autopilot won't guide us through the grey areas. Michael McKinney published a guest post I wrote that digs into how to understand complexity. It is a timely topic, and as I shared in the article, "many leaders I talk with have a feeling that there is a more meaningful way of thinking and leading than what they’ve been seeing. "
Why Ethical Thinking Matters (Part 5)
By Linda Fisher Thornton To celebrate 7 Lenses going into its second printing, this is the fifth post in a special series focused on Why Ethical Thinking Matters. In case you missed them, take a look at Why Ethical Thinking Matters (Part 1), Why Ethical Thinking Matters (Part 2), Why Ethical Thinking Matters (Part 3) and Why Ethical Matters (Part 4). I’m hoping the strategies shared in this series will give you a fresh perspective on your plans for developing leaders in 2018.
18 Quotes To Inspire Leaders In The New Year (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Are your leaders prepared for the year ahead? Each day will bring new challenges, and to succeed within ethical boundaries, they’ll need a clear picture of “good leadership.” This series is an annual tradition and this year's post includes 18 quotes (each linked to a post with leadership guidance) to inspire you to grow your leadership skills to be ready for whatever 2018 may bring.
The Trouble With Certainty
By Linda Fisher Thornton Leaders may think that being decisive and "sure of things" helps them succeed, but if they do, they may be harboring an outdated view of leadership. What has changed about how we see leadership and certainty? Being certain carries with it the connotation of not engaging others in the conversation and using one-way communication. It evokes images of an iron fist pounding on a desk, not a leader who enjoys "working beside" a talented and diverse team.
The Questions We Have in Common
By Linda Fisher Thornton On October 2nd, Krista Tippett gave a talk on "The Adventure of Civility" at the University of Richmond. One of the important things I gleaned from her talk was this recommendation: Instead of trading in "competing answers or statements made to catch, corner, incite or entertain" we should "share the questions we have in common" and "live into the answers." Here are my observations on her important words: The big questions we are trying to resolve together cannot be understood using one-way broadcasts.
4 Connected Trends Shaping the Future of Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton Our understanding of good leadership is advancing. In this video, I describe 4 powerful trends that are increasing leadership expectations and shaping what leaders need to be prepared to handle in the future. By Linda Fisher Thornton Our understanding of good leadership is advancing. In this video, I describe 4 powerful trends that are increasing leadership expectations and shaping what leaders will need to be ready to handle in the future. These 4 trends shaping the future of leadership are connected and accelerating. They give us a clear picture of where we need to take our leadership.
Values Drive Business Success (But Only If They’re Clear and Applied)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Deloitte's 2016 Millennial Survey Executive Summary reported that according to responses from 7700 employed millennials from 29 countries, "the values that support long-term business success are people treatment, ethics, and customer focus. While people treatment, ethics, and customer focus may be the values that drive business success, that only works if they're applied across the organization.
Labels Divide, Values Conquer
By Linda Fisher Thornton I have noticed that when people speak from LABELS (their group identity, their belief system, their affiliation), they are talking from the interests of that label. This can quickly become divisive if that label doesn't include everyone. If a label is broad enough - like the label "human" - it can automatically be an ethical and inclusive conversation. But since most labels aren't that broad, we need to use ethical values to guide us.
5 Things Money Can’t Buy (Even Now)
By Linda Fisher Thornton I had the opportunity a few years ago to hear Michael Sandel, a professor from Harvard and author of What Money Can't Buy, speak about "the sky-boxification of society." He talked about how in many cases now you can buy your way into a better situation (or a sky box). This week, I'm in the process of reading Tom Friedman's book Thank You for Being Late and in it Friedman refers to and builds on Sandel's observations. I started thinking about some of the qualities that are highly valuable and make leaders great that money can't buy - some of the priceless qualities that define great leadership.
Leading in Context 