By Linda Fisher Thornton I was pruning shrubs this week and it occurred to me that we have many mistaken assumptions about leadership that can lead us to make bad choices. Those flawed assumptions are like the deadwood we prune away from our plants in the spring. ...If we don't prune regularly, the deadwood affects our growth and success.
Tag: what is leadership
The Future of “Leadership” (Do We Need a New Word For It?)
By Linda Fisher Thornton While we are experiencing many global challenges, there is also a gradual global push toward better leadership.
Leading in a Systems World
By Linda Fisher Thornton The impact of our leadership decisions is felt far beyond the spaces where we work. The choices that we make may impact people, communities, the environment and society for generations.
Leading Ethically and The Control Trap
By Linda Fisher Thornton Why is controlling leadership so harmful in organizations? There are a number of powerful reasons that have ethical implications:
Which of These Is Ethical Leadership?
Which levels described in this graphic represent ethical leadership? Is Following Laws Ethical Leadership?
What Variables Impact How Freely We Extend Trust?
By Linda Fisher Thornton The recent post Should Trust Be Freely Offered or Conditionally Earned? generated lively discussions in LinkedIn Groups about extending trust when we meet someone new. It was clear from the discussions that trust has many different dimensions, and that those dimensions are perceived differently by different people.
Top 12 Reader Favorites 2012
By Linda Fisher Thornton These 12 posts published in 2012 were the most popular with Leading in Context Blog followers. They all provide a context for thinking about how to make ethical choices in a complex world.
Should Trust Be Freely Offered or Conditionally Earned?
When we meet someone new, should we trust them right away? Should we assume that they are trustworthy and give them the benefit of the doubt, or should we hold back until we are sure that they are worthy of our trust?
What is Unethical Leadership?
Exploring "Unethical Leadership" How do we define unethical leadership? While there are hundreds of stories that illustrate examples of unethical leadership in the news, those stories taken together still do not clearly define the boundaries of what unethical leadership includes
5 More Ways to Avoid the “Rightness” Trap
By Linda Fisher Thornton 5 More Ways to Avoid the "Rightness" Trap The comments kept coming! Here here are 5 More Ways to Avoid the "Rightness" Trap based on social media responses to Is Needing to Be "Right" Unethical? They are each illustrated here with quotes.
7 Reasons Ethics Matters in Brand Value
Customers shop globally now, and when they buy, they compare products more and more often based on ethics. In addition to shopping cautiously during the recession when money is tight, there's also a trend toward thinking about how each purchase impacts the global community and the planet.
Complexity, Creativity and Collaboration
Diversity of Ideas Provides Perspective When dealing with complexity, we need fresh thinking. We need to listen to all ideas that may help, regardless of where they come from in the organization. That involves giving up the notion that we are "right."
What is Creativity?
What is Creativity? In the leadership development world, creativity is getting a great deal of attention now. But what is it? Can you learn it? Is it a skill? How do we lead in ways that encourage it? This post begins to answer those important leadership questions. When we explore the question "What is creativity?" from a thinking and learning point of view, an open and active mind is clearly required - one that can see new possibilities. But is there more to it than that? This post explores the variables that make up what we think of as "creativity."
Developing Globally Responsible Leaders
Laws serve as minimum standards for society, but responsible leadership requires that we go well beyond those minimum standards. As the leaders who will help shape the future of our businesses and our societies through small actions and big decisions, we need a global sense of responsibility. This post explores what it means to be a globally responsible leader and what kinds of learning opportunities help leaders develop a global sense of responsibility.
Leading Ethically Through Complexity: How to Prepare Leaders
Developing Business Leader Future In response to the post "Business Leader Future: A Sketch" Graham posted a question about how we support leaders who are learning to lead in the ways described in that post. ♦ Here are some of my thoughts on how to help business leaders lead ethically through the complexities of their role:
Leading in Context 