By Linda Fisher Thornton Whether it's cute cat videos or shocking (and sometimes untrue) headlines, we've all found ourselves "down the rabbit hole" of distraction. We suddenly realize how much time has passed, and that we have abandoned important tasks to take an "infotainment journey."
Tag: leadership skills
5 Factors Ethical Leaders Control
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leaders can't really "control" organizations, but there are specific things they can do to bring out the best in others and teams to move the organization forward. Here are five things ethical leaders can and should control to have a positive impact on the organizations they lead.
Leaders: Is An Insider Mindset Ethical?
Leaders focus on the good of their teams, organizations and communities. They work to achieve challenging goals and outcomes and they handle day-to-day crises. HOW they do that is shaped by their mindsets.
Are You Leaving a Positive Legacy? (10 Questions Across 5 Dimensions)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
When we think about leadership in the "here and now" we tend to think about what will be most effective in the short run. When we think about our leadership over decades, though. we can turn our attention to the longer-term impact we have on others - our positive legacy.
18 Quotes To Inspire Leaders in the New Year (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
This series includes 18 quotes (linked to posts with leadership guidance) to inspire you and help you develop an ethical leader's mindset. Part 1 included the first 9. Here are 9 more:
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Leaders may think that being decisive and "sure of things" helps them succeed, but if they do, they may be harboring an outdated view of leadership.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.
Talking About What Matters (Part 3)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
I have heard from readers that this topic is timely and they hope this series will not end with just 2 posts - so here is Part 3!
Talking About What Matters
In the post Talking About What Matters (Part 1) I explored how talking about ethical values engages people, helps them find meaning and improves the organization’s metrics. In Talking About What Matters (Part 2), I explored how leaders need to "not have the answers" and be ready to engage in conversations about applying values.
In Part 3, I want to offer some questions that lead to meaningful conversation. These are not questions that have known answers, but questions that dig into what is weighing on people's hearts and minds, and identify gaps and opportunities in applying ethical values.
Reflections on Truth: Why Is It So Elusive?
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Why Is The "Truth" So Elusive?
Last summer, I explored what great thinkers have said about truth in this post: "Reflections on Truth: Are You a Seeker?" Today I'm going to dig a little deeper into the question "What is truth?"
The Missing Domain: Ethical Thinking
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Using the commonly-taught types of thinking is very useful in life, and helps us be better professionals and business people. But there's a catch.
Do Laws Set the Standard For Ethics?
By Linda Fisher Thornton
"Do Laws Set the Standard For Ethics?" may be a simple question, but the answer is complicated. They do and they don't set the standard.
9 Ethical Roles: Is Your Leadership Team “All In”
By Linda Fisher Thornton
I blogged a while back about the Critical Roles of the (Ethical) CEO. I realized later that these important ethical roles apply not just to CEOs, but also to all senior leaders in an organization. And if the leaders they manage don't carry these roles throughout the organization, there will be gaps in the culture.
The Evolving Purpose of Leadership: Why More is Expected Now
By Linda Fisher Thornton
What ever happened to command-and-control (transactional) leadership and what has taken its place? How is our understanding of the purpose of leadership changing? Where is it headed?
In this video, I explain our evolving understanding of the purpose of leadership, and provide a context that explains why more is expected of leaders now.
Are You Squeezing Every Drop Out of Your Talent?
By Linda Fisher Thornton
You may have been thinking that this post was going to be about how to get your people to do more and to achieve more. It is about that, but not in the way you might think. In my experience, when the leader improves, everybody can do more. Bear with me as I describe for you how you can get the most out of your people by squeezing every drop out of YOUR OWN talent and potential.
10 Ways the Leadership Relationship is Changing (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Previously, I blogged about the first 5 of 10 Ways the Leadership Relationship is Changing, and today I want to explore 5 more.
Leading in Context 