By Linda Fisher Thornton Individual integrity is the full alignment in what a person thinks, says and does. Taking that concept to another level, this post will explore the question "what is organizational integrity?" Clearly, organizational integrity is broader than individual integrity, but what does it include?
Tag: ethics
10 Ways The Leadership Relationship is Changing (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton A convergence of positive trends is changing leadership expectations, and today I want to explore how those trends are changing the leadership relationship.
The Triple Bottom Line Is Just The Beginning
By Linda Fisher Thornton Many organizations are still talking about the triple bottom line (Profits, People, Planet) as if it's the standard for ethical business. While it's a great improvement over focusing on profit alone, the triple bottom line doesn't reflect the current expectations of customers, employees and global markets.
50 Ways to Lead For Trust (Part 3: The Last 20)
By Linda Fisher Thornton This post is the 3rd in a series on 50 Ways to Lead For Trust. Part 1 included numbers 1-15. Part 2 gave you 15 more, and this post includes the final 20 Ways to Lead For Trust.
We’re All Padawan Learners
By Linda Fisher Thornton Have you ever noticed that no matter how many times the forces of good overcome the forces of evil in the Star Wars movies, there is always another challenge? There is never a moment when the characters "arrive" and are exempt from ethical challenges.
What Are You Talking About (Ethically Speaking)?
By Linda Fisher Thornton There are many layers of meaning in ethics conversations. How far down are you going? Do you stop at surface messages or do you dig into real problems? See if you can find your ethics conversations below:
Is Ethics a Body of Knowledge? (No! It’s a Process of Human Growth.)
By Linda Fisher Thornton If you think ethical awareness is about knowledge and learning, think again. Knowledge and learning are only useful in ethics if we are open to receiving them, open to shifting our perspective, and open to changing our minds.
Leaders: Check Your Motivation, Your Authenticity and Your Ethics
By Linda Fisher Thornton If we are leading others, we need to be asking the questions of leadership - about our motivation, our authenticity and our ethics.
Where Is Ethical Leadership Found?
By Linda Fisher Thornton While it may be convenient to think about ethical leadership as a task, a program, or a rule book, that's not where it lives.
5 Warning Signs Of Oversimplified Ethics
By Linda Fisher Thornton Leaders and organizations can get into real trouble if they oversimplify ethics. Some examples of what that might look like include lonely ethics statements (that look good on paper but are not brought to life) and grand statements (that are vague and not well understood). Here are 5 warning signs to watch for that signal an oversimplified approach to ethics:
Hitting the High Notes
By Linda Fisher Thornton When I was singing with a local chorus, I took some voice lessons. My teacher had me start by singing scales while she listened. After my voice cracked, I explained that I had trouble "hitting the high notes." I explained that I was an Alto, not a Soprano and the high notes seemed way out of my reach.
Finding Meaning Requires Growth
By Linda Fisher Thornton When Nicolae Tanase at ExcellenceReporter.com asked me to submit an entry for his Meaning of Life project, I hesitated. It was a question I had often thought about. But it was a big one, and I wasn't sure I was ready to tackle it publicly. After thinking it over, I decided that the question was related to my work in human development and leadership, and that a clear answer could be valuable to readers.
How Does Struggle Shape Us as Leaders?
By Linda Fisher Thornton On the journey to ethical leadership, we all struggle. We struggle to make ethical choices when there are multiple stakeholders to consider. We struggle to balance competing interests, high expectations, information overload and overbooked schedules. We struggle to be at our best in difficult circumstances.
With Ethics PREVENTION is the Cure
By Linda Fisher Thornton Have you heard the expression "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" Eating healthy foods, exercising and getting enough sleep will help us prevent health problems. In the quest for good health, preventive habits make all the difference. It is generally easier for us to establish healthy habits than to resolve persistent problems once they start. There is an important parallel we can draw between human health and organizational health - prevention is also the best way to deal with ethics in organizations.
40 Ways to Build an Ethical Culture (An Ethical To Do List)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Last week I blogged about 40 Ethical Culture Gaps to Avoid. This week, I'm sharing a 'What To Do" list of 40 Ways to Build an Ethical Culture. This list includes many ways to incorporate ethical values into daily organizational leadership. Each one of these 40 Ways to Build an Ethical Culture can improve an organization. Leaders paying attention to all of these factors will reap rewards that include improved employee engagement, better financial performance, increased productivity and job satisfaction, improved competitive position and more. Use this "ethical to do list" to assess your culture. Put a check mark beside the positive ethical actions that you have observed in your organization. Any that you leave unchecked are opportunities for improvement.
Leading in Context 