By Linda Fisher Thornton 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…
Tag: ethical business
Ethical Values Are Good For Business (Part 7)
By Linda Fisher Thornton We need to get leadership right because so much depends on it. Many global factors are driving changes in ethical leadership expectations, and in high-stakes times, how we handle ethical leadership development can make or break our success. This week I’ve created a graphic that brings the expectations and priorities into clearer focus.
Ethical Values Are Good For Business (Part 4)
By Linda Fisher Thornton In Part 1 of this series "Ethical Values Are Good For Business" I shared the importance of clearing up the confusion employees have in balancing ethical values with bottom line profitability. In Part 2, we looked at the importance of aligning strategy with the organization's values. Part 3 addressed the senior leader's important role. In Part 4 let's look at using values to guide us in challenging times.
Ethical Values Are Good For Business (Part 3)
By Linda Fisher Thornton In Part 1 of this series "Ethical Values Are Good For Business" I shared the importance of clearing up the confusion employees have in balancing ethical values with bottom line profitability. In Part 2, we looked at the importance of aligning strategy with the organization's values. In Part 3, we'll address the senior leader's important role.
Ethical Values are Good For Business (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Even if a company has clear values, applying them is not as easy as leaders might think. According to Gallup (2016), just 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can apply their organization’s values to their work every day, and only 27% strongly agree that they "believe in" their organization's values. In 2022 Gallup reported that "Without strong, lived and embedded values, it is difficult for employees to find meaning in their job."
What is Duality?
By Linda Fisher Thornton What is Duality? What is duality? This is a tricky question, because the answer depends on your perspective and why you're asking. Each discipline answers the question from a different angle. This post samples the varying disciplinary perspectives on duality.
The Complexity of Ethical Thinking and Decision Making (Part 5)
By Linda Fisher Thornton While change is a constant reality, it doesn't always factor into leadership thinking. In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, I explored the Depth of our thinking, and the importance of understanding Context. In Part 3…
Read More The Complexity of Ethical Thinking and Decision Making (Part 5)
What is Meaningful Leadership? (Part 4)
By Linda Fisher Thornton
What is Meaningful Leadership? Seeking the Truth & Excavating Grey Areas Using Ethical Values
In Part 1 of this series we looked at how leaders generate meaningful environments where others can thrive. In Part 2 we explored a leader's own quest for authenticity. In Part 3 we looked at the role of powerful conversations and a focus on collective success. In Part 4, we'll examine how meaningful leadership requires truth-seeking based on ethical values.
Leaders: Can You Control Ethics?
By Linda Fisher Thornton The question for today is "Can we control ethics?" Leaders have tried to control ethics with compliance-based systems (based on rules and penalties) but that does not tend to inspire people to ethical action. Leaders have tried to control ethics by running a tight ship, closely managing workers, but that does not bring out the best in people and may lead to workers not caring about protecting the company's reputation.
Guest Interview: Stay On Top Of Your Work Podcast
By Linda Fisher Thornton
This week you can listen to a brand new interview I did with Kate Kurzawska, host of the Timecamp Stay on Top of Your Work Podcast!
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.
117 Trends to Watch in 2017
By Linda Fisher Thornton
There are many changes in progress that will impact your leadership and your business this year. Get settled in and take a look at (more than) 100 trends that should be on your radar in 2016:
Prevention or Cure? Your Choice
By Linda Fisher Thornton
Senior leadership teams and boards have a choice. In their ethics strategy, they can focus on prevention or cure.
The cure approach is reactive and messy. It involves waiting for something bad to happen, then scrambling to do damage control. Then you have to build an ethical support system (perhaps at the insistence of a regulatory body) to prevent it from happening again.
The prevention approach is proactive and positive, and it helps prevent those messy problems. It involves building the ethical support system up front, while things are going well.
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.
Leading in Context 