By Linda Fisher Thornton What is Duality? What is duality? This is a tricky question, because the answer depends on your perspective and why you're asking. Each discipline answers the question from a different angle. This post samples the varying disciplinary perspectives on duality.
Tag: ethical thinking
Systems Thinking: Untangling Increasing Pollen Allergies
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Large-scale problems usually have more than one cause. When we look for solutions, we need to investigate many different possible variables. Today, I'll look at multiple causes of increasing allergies to pollen. This issue is of particular concern to me since I live in one of the Top 10 Most Challenging Places to Live With Spring Allergies (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America).
The Complexity of Ethical Thinking and Decision Making (Part 5)
By Linda Fisher Thornton While change is a constant reality, it doesn't always factor into leadership thinking. In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, I explored the Depth of our thinking, and the importance of understanding Context. In Part 3…
Read More The Complexity of Ethical Thinking and Decision Making (Part 5)
The Complexity of Ethical Thinking and Decision Making (Part 4)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Who we include in our ethical thinking, and how broadly we consider our responsibility to others are important elements of ethical leadership. In Part 1 of this series, I explored the Depth of our thinking, and in Part 2, I broke down issues related to understanding Context. In Part 3, I looked at Complexity. In Part 4, we'll dig into the importance of Inclusion.
The Complexity of Ethical Thinking and Decision Making (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
When Thinking is Starved For Context and Complexity
Think about how easy it is to start using shallow breathing without being aware that we're doing it. This can happen when we're stressed or anxious, and it can impact our well-being. We may be unaware that we are using shallow breathing until someone notices we're turning pale and tells us to BREATHE.
When we use shallow thinking, that similarly impacts the "well-being" of our decision making, leading us to false conclusions and ethically problematic decisions. It's almost as if when we use shallow thinking, our decision making is getting less oxygen. We can medically treat people who are having trouble breathing. But what do we do about thinking that is starved for context and complexity?
Healthy Media Consumption
By Linda Fisher Thornton
I've blogged about how to spot fake news and variables complicating media ethics. Today I'll explore the characteristics healthy media consumption. Let's begin with a dose of healthy skepticism.
Healthy Skepticism
You can't believe everything you see. Photographs and videos that appear to be "proof" of a story may have been altered. Your best best is to choose your sources of information carefully so that you can reasonably be assured that what you are seeing and hearing is real.
The Willingness to Admit We’re Wrong
By Linda Fisher Thornton
We've all been wrong. It's only when we are willing to admit that we're wrong that we show what this John Templeton Foundation video describes as "intellectual humility." This video, titled "The Joy of Being Wrong" is a compelling visual portrayal of the process of being willing to admit we're wrong, and it describes the many personal and social benefits that result.
Uncomfortable Learning
By Linda Fisher ThorntonI'm generally a fan of uncomfortable learning. I believe that "uncomfortable" is sometimes a necessary part of the natural processes of learning and growth. Facilitators and teachers sometimes leverage it to help people get past outdated mindsets or to shake up and resolve conflicts.
How Is Critical Thinking Different From Ethical Thinking?
By Linda Fisher ThorntonEthical thinking and critical thinking are both important and it helps to understand how we need to use them together to make decisions.
Shallow Thinking
By Linda Fisher ThorntonThe question of the day is "How does "shallow thinking" leads to ethical mistakes?" By shallow thinking, I mean thinking that is limited in breadth and depth. Think about taking a stroll on the beach as you read the characteristics of shallow thinking below. Think about how these characteristics describe the kind of thinking that leads to ethical mistakes and decision gridlock.
Interview on the Leveraging Thought Leadership Podcast
By Linda Fisher ThorntonToday I'm sharing my recent interview with Peter Winick on the Leveraging Thought Leadership Podcast. We had an interesting conversation about my journey including how I got my start, challenges I faced and "growing into" this important work.
Research: Moving Beyond Cause-and-Effect Thinking
By Linda Fisher Thornton
The traditional view of research in the U.S. has been that something has to be proven to a statistically significant degree using established research procedures. It should be able to be replicated to confirm that the results are accurate and true. The problem is that established research procedures generally call for isolating one thing at a time to prove cause and effect, but we live in a world of complex, connected systems.
Mindset or Competency: Which is More Important?
By Linda Fisher Thornton
How we think about something will impact what we do about it. To be ready to handle difficult challenges, our thinking needs to stretch to help us adapt. Nick Petrie, Center For Creative Leadership, writes in Vertical Leadership Development Part I that "In terms of leadership, the stage from which you are thinking and acting matters a lot. To be effective, the leader’s thinking must be equal or superior to the complexity of the environment." An "Un-Fixed" MindsetThe environment is constantly changing and increasing in complexity. When we change our thinking, we change our capacity. Capability, or what we can do, is still important, but it won't get us far if we're using an outdated mindset.
Your Culture is Not A Secret (So Protect Your Ethics)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
One of my favorite concepts for understanding how social media is changing the visibility of organizational culture is Trendwatching.com's report Glass Box Brands. As Trendwatching.com elequently explains, "In an age of radical transparency, your internal culture is your brand." The key point I take away from this important report is that we can no longer assume that our culture is private. In fact, it's completely public and it defines our brand.
Respect, Interpreted Part 1
By Linda Fisher Thornton
I believe that respect is a key structural beam supporting the organizational "house." Without it, trust falls, productivity falls, engagement drops and turnover increases. It becomes harder to attract top talent for open positions in organizations where respect is not a minimum standard. Without respect, an organization's culture becomes structurally unsound and devolves into "a house of cards" at risk of many negative impacts beyond those mentioned here.
With respect as a minimum standard for which people are held accountable, an organization creates a "positive shield' that deflects a wide range of negative interpersonal behaviors.
Leading in Context 