By Linda Fisher Thornton This post begins a series on talking about what matters. Great attention is often paid to values in defining and marketing an organization. But what happens after that? It's the ongoing dialogue about how to apply those values that brings them to life. Some leaders assume that if the values are written down, they will be followed. The problem with that assumption is that while people may WANT to follow the organization's stated values, they may not know how.
Tag: Leadership
Everyone is a Stakeholder at Some Level
By Linda Fisher Thornton "Everyone is a stakeholder at some level, and all stakeholders are important. We should consider all stakeholders as we lead – those we serve, those we lead, the powerless, the silenced, the planet, and all of humanity." I shared this important statement in a previous post - it was an aha moment from a Tweetchat I guest-hosted on Leading With Ethics. To reflect on where you are in the journey to leading with the mindset that "everyone is a stakeholder at some level," explore the answers to these important questions:
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.
Is Moral Development Observable?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Most of us have some idea about human development because we have watched people grow up and pass through stages and milestones in their lives. We have seen babies roll over and sit up, and later walk on their own. We have watched children grow into teenagers and become adults. Moral development is just as important as physical development, and should be going on at the same time as physical development, but it is not visible in terms of a person's appearance.
Ready To Change the Ethics Quo (For Good)? – Part 1
By Linda Fisher Thornton Each day brings new challenges for leaders. They struggle to deal with uncertainty and complexity and sometimes the most ethical choices are not obvious. In this kind of environment, we can't assume that things are going well even when there are no lawsuits or imminent ethical crises. What we need to do is build an ethical workplace that will discourage ethical problems. This week the focus is on Ways to Improve Accountability For Ethics. Here are 3 ways to avoid relying on the status quo - that also help you "do good" in your organization, community and world.
5 Signs Your Culture is FAILING
By Linda Fisher Thornton Building a positive ethical culture is a long-term process. It involves much more than just company trappings and perks - leaders must make a commitment to people and to creating a positive work space. When things seem to be going well, it's easy to miss signs that the culture may be off track.
5 Insights Into Leadership Development Future (Part 5)
By Linda Fisher Thornton This is the 5th post in a series called 5 Insights Into Leadership Development Future. Here are the 4 previous posts in the series in case you missed them: Part 1 on Global Trends Part 2 on Wholeness Part 3 on Growth and Human Development Part 4 on Positive Ethical Values and the Search For Meaning This final post will build on the previous 4 posts in this series and discuss how to prepare leaders for the workplace of the future.
Reflections on Truth (Are You a Seeker?)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Reflections on Truth We've heard the expressions "truth is in the eye of the beholder" and "the truth shall set you free." What is this truth that so many have spoken of? How do we find it? How does it relate to ethics? Ponder those questions as you explore this collection of quotes about truth.
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.
5 Questions For Leaders Seeking Insight In The New Year
By Linda Fisher Thornton Grateful For The Conversation Many thanks to Leading in Context friends and followers for a wonderful 2015. I am grateful for the lively global conversation about the leadership we need for a better future. I appreciate your active involvement in the movement. Special thanks to all of you who have shared my blog posts and let me know what you want to learn more about in the future. Some thoughts as we head into a new year:
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.
Are You Approachable?
By Linda Fisher Thornton The pace of change is out of control in the workplace. Have any of you learned more than three new software programs this week? Have you had to deliver on deadline in spite of being completely new to a project? Have you struggled to get the attention of colleagues when you need their input, only to find that they are too busy to make the time to meet?
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.
Imperfectly Human
By Linda Fisher Thornton We are all imperfectly human. We make mistakes. We do things that aren't responsible. Yes we ALL do things that aren't responsible at times. If you think you're exempt, let me ask you this.
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.
Leading in Context 