leadership skills | Leading in Context

Leaders: Is An Insider Mindset Ethical?

August 5, 2020 Leave a comment

By Linda Fisher Thornton

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.

What Is An Insider Mindset?

One leader mindset that does not guide leaders to ethical choices is the “insider mindset.” When we think of the word “insider,” we may think of “insider trading” (having an unfair advantage) or “insider information” (possessing knowledge that provides a special advantage). According to Merriam Webster, the word “insider” means “special privilege or status” and has these synonyms: connection, contact, big shot, bigwig, somebody, VIP.

At the core of ethics is thinking beyond ourselves. When we use an insider mindset, though, we place ourselves in the “special seat” and from that point of view it is easier to discount the needs and concerns of others. Applying an insider mindset, it is tempting to ignore the laws and protections that keep us from taking advantage of others.

What Does It Lead To?

Using an “insider mindset” a leader might think it perfectly fine to share “insider” information with a select few in the inner circle for their own benefit. The leader might refuse to share the information publicly even when confronted, since sharing it would take the leader out of the “special seat” and spread the VIP advantage around to everyone else.

Is It Ethical?

Good leaders know that the power of leadership is in its ability to bring out the best in others, which in turn brings out the best in the leader. The leader’s power, then, is not reliant on any special inside information or advantage since it resides in the potential of every member of the team.

An insider mindset has a critical flaw when it comes to ethics. It conveniently “overlooks” the leadership responsibility to protect and serve others before ourselves. It “looks away” from responsibilities that are at the core of good leadership. For these reasons, there is no place for an “insider mindset” in ethical leadership.

Filed under Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Thinking, ethics & talent management Tagged with ethical leadership development, ethical leadership in a global society, ethical leadership mindset, ethical mindset, ethics in leadership, leadership skills

Are You Leaving a Positive Legacy? (10 Questions Across 5 Dimensions)

January 10, 2018 Leave a comment

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.

Long-term thinking (or the failure to apply it) can make or break our efforts to leave a positive legacy. In effective leadership, we look beyond our own interests and reflect on how we will generate a positive impact on others over time through our daily decisions and actions.

5 Dimensions Of Our Leadership Legacy

Our positive legacy is typically discussed as a “thing” but there is more nuance than that descirption implies. This post explores five dimensions that help us understand and improve our leadership legacy.

Reflect on the legacy you are leaving by asking yourself these 10 questions across 5 important dimensions of leadership.

1. Personal Legacy

How am I having a positive impact on individuals through my leadership now?

How do I improve the lives of those I lead?

2. Interpersonal Legacy

How do I model the positive interpersonal behavior that leads to better workplaces and communities?

How do I teach others to promote respect, inclusion and a peaceful global society?

3. Organizational Legacy

How do I set high standard for leadership in the organizations I serve?

How do I solve problems, remove roadblocks and otherwise improve the organizations I serve?

4. Community Legacy

How do I magnify and support the positive impact of other people’s contributions to communities?

How do I leave communities better than I found them?

5. Greater Good Legacy

How do I influence the course of human events in a positive way?

How do I make life better on our planet for future generations, leaving a positive legacy long after I am gone?

Our Legacy Compounds

As we lead, we should not overestimate our own importance. The greatest leadership legacy is achieved by preparing others to do great things. This generates a positive ripple effect that multiplies and compounds the positive impact of our leadership.

Don’t leave your legacy to chance as you manage the many tasks of the new year. Take a moment to reflect on your leadership strengths and choose a dimension (of the 5 above) where you can improve your leadership this year.

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Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader Tagged with business ethics, ethical leadership, ethical thinking, Leadership, leadership development, leadership legacy, leadership skills

18 Quotes To Inspire Leaders in the New Year (Part 2)

December 27, 2017 1 Comment

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:

Labels DIVIDE people into groups, and highlight their special nature and interests. Values UNITE people, and highlight shared interests and common concerns.

Since ethics is multidimensional, our learning and application must be multidimensional.

To accomplish the ideal of considering all stakeholders in even our smallest decisions, we’ll have to do more than just imagine the possibilities. We’ll need to do the work.

It’s ethical values that are the true measure of leaders and organizations.

It is never okay to skip learning because “we are already a leader.”

Great leaders use meaningful connections, shared values and mutual understanding to bring people together.

Leaders might think that values are self-explanatory but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s in the nitty-gritty application of values that people have deep questions.

In every situation where we think we have to do what it takes to get our immediate needs met, there is another path we can choose – pursuing a mutually beneficial solution that lasts.

The greatest challenge leaders face is to keep up as the bar continues to be raised.

I wish great things for all of you in 2018! For more articles clarifying leadership, ethics and complexity, visit the Blog Index and consider following the Leading in Context Blog for a new post every week in the New Year.

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Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization, Ethical Thinking, Trends Tagged with ethical leadership trends, ethics trends, inspiring leadership, leadership development and ethics, leadership skills

The Trouble With Certainty

November 29, 2017 Leave a comment

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.

Imagining a leader who’s “certain,” we may think about someone who operates as a lone wolf or someone who is holding fast to an outdated world view and refusing to adapt as the world changes.

The Quest For Uncertainty

Whereas certainty is “out,” uncertainty is the new hallmark of great leadership. Uncertain leaders ask more questions and engage more stakeholders. They see value in dialogue and in the somewhat messy but always interesting process of learning. Uncertain leaders know that the minute they become “certain” and unwilling to adapt to change, they are at risk of making an ethical mistake.

When is certainty a good thing in a global environment?

While uncertainty is hallmark of great leadership, there is one thing leaders should always be sure about in a rapidly changing global context. It helps them navigate the uphill terrain of perpetual uncertainty. What is it that they should always be sure about? Their values.

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Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization, Ethical Thinking, Trends Tagged with adaptable leadership, ethical leader, ethical leadership, ethical thinking, leadership development, leadership skills, positive and proactive leadership

The Questions We Have in Common

October 25, 2017 2 Comments

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.

Even in a fast-paced, social-media enabled world, it would be wrong for any leader to act as though important and complex issues could be managed responsibly without deep listening and dialogue.

Firing answers at each other doesn’t involve listening or self-reflection, but answering questions we have in common (and living into the answers) will require both.

What Does It Mean To “Do The Right Thing?”

Seen Through 7 Lenses of Ethical Responsibility

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Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Thinking, Trends Tagged with big questions, ethical behavior, ethical leader, leadership skills, values based leadership, what is ethical leadership

Talking About What Matters (Part 3)

September 6, 2017 Leave a comment

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.

Questions to Ask

Open ended questions help define appropriate behaviors in the context of your organizational values. They help leaders tolerate “not knowing” and get the conversation started.

These questions are ones I proposed in an article published by the Association For Talent Development (formerly ASTD) in Training and Development Journal and in a Best of Leadership Development issue. They are helpful conversation starters:

What are the specific ethical behaviors that are required of all organizational leaders?
What are the consequences if they don’t behave ethically?
What are the situations that people encounter that could lead them into a grey area?
How should those grey areas be handled?
What does it look like when leaders perform according to the organization’s stated values?
What does it look like when they don’t?
How should people make decisions when they encounter difficult situations?
Where might our leaders fall into grey areas while implementing our goals and values?
What are areas where we will not tolerate compromise?
What are areas of flexibility?
Where do we need to clarify our mission and values, to make it clear that we are an ethical organization, and ethics is not negotiable?
How can we more effectively recruit, recognize, and retain ethical leaders?

Linda Fisher Thornton, “Leadership Ethics Training: Why is it So Hard to Get it Right?” reprinted in Training and Development: The Best of Leadership Development, American Society for Training and Development. (March, 2010)

Leading In The “Figure It Out Space”

When we ask questions like these, and open the conversation, we have to set aside our need to be “right.” Values (when brought to life) live in the collective organizational space, not in the domain of any one leader. They also live in the “figure it out” space. It is the struggle to “figure out” how to apply the organization’s values in day to day work and leadership that brings them to life.

Learn How to Think and Lead in all 7 Ethical Dimensions of Leadership

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LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization Tagged with 7 lenses of ethical leadership, business ethics, ethical conversations, ethics, leadership skills, leading ethically in a complex world

Reflections on Truth: Why Is It So Elusive?

August 16, 2017 Leave a comment

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?”

I found the BBC radio show “A Brief History of the Truth“ that explores the question across time to give us a broader understanding. It turns out that (according to American satirist Joe Queenan) people have had problems with the truth since the time of ancient civilizations. The broadcast is mostly humorous, but I loved this seriously insightful statement:

“Reality is very complicated. No one perspective on the world can capture everything. So when people talk about “the truth,” often the mistake they’re making is that they’re thinking you can capture everything that’s important about the truth only from one perspective.”

Heard on the BBC radio show “A Brief History of the Truth“

It turns out that truth, like ethics, is multidimensional. One sound bite is not going to capture it.

How Do We Find It?

Look beyond the soundbite. Since one perspective won’t give us the answer, we will need to use various perspectives.
Look beyond our current beliefs and assumptions. We can’t see from multiple perspectives if all we can see is our current beliefs and assumptions, so we’ll need to assume we only have part of the picture.
Look beyond the most convenient answer. Since we may tend to see things in our own favor, we will need to assume that the most convenient answer for us is not necessarily the real answer.
Bring our curiosity and be open to new insights. If we are going to move past our own beliefs and assumptions and the most convenient answer, we’ll need to remain curious and open to new information that may profoundly change our understanding of the issue.

If you are trying to resolve a problem with a group, seeing the “truth” from the perspective of each person on the team will lead you to mutually beneficial solutions. Take a hard look at your “truth.” Is it one-dimensional, or open to learning about the other perspectives that will give you the whole picture?

Learn How to Think in all 7 Ethical Dimensions of Leadership

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LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Thinking Tagged with developing leadership skills, leadership skills, truth, what is truth? how do we find the truth?

The Missing Domain: Ethical Thinking

August 9, 2017 Leave a comment

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.

Critical thinking can help you understand why a problem happened. It won’t help you find the most ethical solution to the problem once you identify it.

Creative thinking can help you figure your way out of a business challenge. It won’t keep you within the lines of appropriate and responsible behavior.

Design thinking can help you create amazing interactive technologies. It won’t help you resolve the new ethical issues those innovative technologies generate.

Even if we’re using all three types of thinking in our leadership, there is something important missing.

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”

C. S. Lewis

This quote from C. S. Lewis reminds us that values are necessary for higher level decisions and actions. They help us overcome selfish tendencies and guide us to consider how our choices will impact others.

It Guides Responsible Behavior

Learning ethical thinking is an important part of human development, but many schools continue to teach subjects without it.

It Helps Prevent Ethical Mistakes

Ethical thinking is central to many organization’s leader hiring process, but often left out as a grounding theme in leadership development. If your leadership development is not ethics-rich, here’s the big question.

It’s Our Job

Why are we teaching a high level understanding of subjects without teaching the ethical thinking to responsibly apply what people learn?

Why are people learning ethical thinking the hard way by making ethical mistakes we could be helping them prevent?

It’s our job as leaders to fill in the critically needed missing domain.

Learn Ethical Thinking – in all 7 Ethical Dimensions of Leadership

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LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization, Ethical Thinking, Trends Tagged with ethical leadership, ethical thinking, ethics, leadership skills, thinking context, vertical leadership development

Do Laws Set the Standard For Ethics?

July 12, 2017 3 Comments

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.

Laws set the MINIMUM standard for ethical behavior. This is the level that I call the punishment threshold. If your behavior drops below this level, you will be fined, sanctioned, sent to jail, or otherwise punished. The reason there are punishments when laws are violated is because they are considered the rock bottom of what we should be able to expect from people. Obviously, we don’t want everyone behaving at this level.

Ethical values set the OPTIMAL standard for ethical behavior. They define the desired behaviors – what we want people to do. Applying ethical values requires a broad understanding of our responsibilities and a willingness to take responsibility for our role in the workplace and society.

No one should use “following laws” as a measure of their good citizenship. It’s ethical values that are the true measure of leaders and organizations.

Learn How to Apply all 7 Ethical Dimensions of Leadership

Includes how ethical expectations are increasing, and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

Click the cover to read a free preview!

LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization Tagged with 7 lenses of ethical leadership, ethical business, laws and ethics, leadership development, leadership skills

9 Ethical Roles: Is Your Leadership Team “All In”

May 17, 2017 1 Comment

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 front line leaders don’t carry these roles throughout the organization, there will be gaps in the culture.

An ethical culture will only happen if the leadership team is “All In.”

We should prepare leaders to take on these 9 important roles, to help them be “All In” in the quest for ethical culture building:

Critical Roles of the Ethical Leader

Ethical Leadership Role Model

High Level Trust-Builder

Champion For Ethical Values

Ethical Prevention Advocate

Highest Leader Accountable For Ethics

Accountability Consistency Monitor

Ethics Dialogue Leader

Ethical Decision-Making Coach

Ethical Culture Builder

Through these important roles, leaders communicate, model and coach ethical thinking and action. That process increases the ethical capability of the organization over time, protects it from problems, and keeps the work environment positive.

Is your leadership team “All In” in taking on these roles and championing ethics throughout the organization? Help each leader develop the skills and confidence to handle these important roles.

NEW Leadership Webinars – Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership!

6/8/17 – Communicating About Ethical Values: How To Talk About What Matters

7/11/2017 – Developing Leadership That Inspires

Ethical Leaders See Their Choices Through All 7 Lenses

Includes case examples and questions.

Click the book cover for a preview.

LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization Tagged with developing ethical leaders, ethical business, ethical leadership, leadership roles, leadership skills

The Evolving Purpose of Leadership: Why More is Expected Now

April 26, 2017 2 Comments

By Linda Fisher Thornton

What ever happened to 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. This trend update is based on Part 3 of my book 7 Lenses.

Leaders across industries are stretching to meet expectations as the bar continues to be raised. Understanding the trends can help us get there.

Your Guide to the Ethical Leadership Journey

Includes case examples and questions.

Click the book cover for a preview.

LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Context, Ethical Leader, Trends Tagged with how leadership is changing, leadership skills, leadership trends, leading for the long run

Are You Squeezing Every Drop Out of Your Talent?

May 11, 2016 3 Comments

By Linda Fisher Thornton

You may have thought this post was going to be about how to get 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.

Think about how carefully you squeeze the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube, or finish the last bit of orange juice before recycling the container. You want to get every drop, right? Applying that same mentality to your leadership, you’ll want to get the most out of it that you possibly can, by:

Learning proactively
Keeping up with changing leadership expectations
Staying competent in every aspect of your work
Reaching for your ethical best and setting a good example for others to follow
Asking your team how you can improve your leadership, and learning how to live up to their expectations

When you put consistent effort into leading, and work to get more out of your own talent, everyone on your team benefits. The results can be extraordinary. While it may seem counter-intuitive, squeezing every drop out of OUR leadership talent is what brings out THEIR best performance.

Bring Out Your Leadership Best: Learn To See Through 7 Lenses®.

Includes how ethical expectations are increasing, and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

Click the cover to read a free preview!

LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Ethical Leader, Ethical Thinking Tagged with 7 Lenses, ethical leadership, leadership competence, leadership skills

10 Ways the Leadership Relationship is Changing (Part 2)

April 20, 2016 3 Comments

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. These changes reflect a growing awareness that leadership never was about the leader – it is about how the leader takes responsibility and enables the success of others.

I guess we could say that some people got caught up in the perks of leadership and forgot about the service part and the need to take ethical responsibility. Well, some of those leadership perks are disappearing (like the corner office).

Here are 5 more ways the leadership relationship is changing to favor those who leaders serve:

6. From keeping production high to attracting and keeping top talent (who will keep production high)

7. From telling to asking, involving, thinking together

8. From an “open door policy” to “no door workspaces”

9. From position power to competence and contribution power

10. From “do as I say, not as I do” to “Let me show you how” (demonstrating company values and ethics codes)

Trust and responsibility are the scaffolding underneath positive workplace relationships. The test of our leadership is not how well we handle tasks and direct people, but how well we build high-trust workplaces where everyone can work at their best.

All 10 of these changes in the leadership relationship reflect a new leadership mindset that is more ethically developed. The changing leadership relationship requires us to put ego aside and work for the good of those we lead and serve. After all, leadership is relational. It’s not about us. It’s about how well we bring the best in others.

Prepare Your Leaders For Ethical Leadership Future – Help Them Learn To See Through The 7 Lenses®.

Includes how ethical expectations are increasing, and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

Click the cover to read a free preview!

LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Complexity, Context, Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization, Trends Tagged with 7 Lenses, complexity and leadership, leadership behavior, leadership development, leadership skills

Advice For Leaders: John Mattone Blog Interview

March 2, 2016 Leave a comment

By Linda Fisher Thornton

This week I am honored to share with you an Expert Interview that I did for the John Mattone Blog at JohnMattone.com. This interview explores my business journey and includes advice for leaders about learning and applying ethical leadership.

It addresses issues that concern leaders including:

qualities of ethical leaders
the multidimensional nature of ethical leadership
learning ethical thinking
identifying ethical leaders, and
measuring leadership success.

Check out the article at the link below!

Expert Interview With Linda Fisher Thornton on the John Mattone Blog

Prepare Your Leaders For Ethical Leadership Future – Help Them Learn To See Through The 7 Lenses®.

Includes how ethical expectations are increasing, and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

Click the cover to read a free preview!

LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Ethical Leader, Ethical Thinking Tagged with ethical dimensions, ethics in leadership, leadership models, leadership qualities, leadership skills

50 Ways To Lead For Trust (Part 1)

December 2, 2015 Leave a comment

By Linda Fisher Thornton

This post is the first in a series on practical ways to lead that build trust. See how many of the first fifteen you incorporate into your daily leadership:

1. Care

2. Ask

3. Support

4. Be Available 50-Ways-to-Lead-For-Trust

5. Be Consistent

6. Be Honest

7. Be Reliable

8. Be Understanding

9. Think Long Term

10. Build Positive Relationships

11. Be Humble

12. Always Keep Learning

13. Ask Those You Lead How You Can Improve (and Then Do It)

14. Meet the Standards You Expect of Others

15. Lead With Ethical Values

Pick one of these fifteen important trust-building actions to improve this month. Your team deserves it!

Prepare Your Leaders For Ethical Leadership Future – Help Them Learn To See Through The 7 Lenses®.

Includes how ethical leadership expectations are increasing and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

LeadinginContext.com

Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership®

Filed under Ethical Leader, Ethical Organization Tagged with 7 Lenses, ethical leadership behavior, global leadership, global leadership ethics, leadership skills, trust building

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5 Dimensions Of Our Leadership Legacy

1. Personal Legacy

2. Interpersonal Legacy

3. Organizational Legacy

4. Community Legacy

5. Greater Good Legacy

Our Legacy Compounds

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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.”

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“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”

C. S. Lewis

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An ethical culture will only happen if the leadership team is “All In.”

Critical Roles of the Ethical Leader

NEW Leadership Webinars – Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership!

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6. From keeping production high to attracting and keeping top talent (who will keep production high)

7. From telling to asking, involving, thinking together

8. From an “open door policy” to “no door workspaces”

9. From position power to competence and contribution power

10. From “do as I say, not as I do” to “Let me show you how” (demonstrating company values and ethics codes)

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