By Linda Fisher Thornton Today I’m exploring two important questions: “What do grateful leaders do that sets them apart from other leaders?” and “How does expressing gratitude benefit them?
Category: Ethical Thinking
Talking About Ethics (Part 5)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Talking about controversial topics has become a daunting task. There are some things we can do, individually and collectively, to improve those difficult conversations. The important points below may be useful to review as ground rules for discussing potentially emotionally charged issues:
Talking About Ethics (Part 4)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Talking about ethical values engages people, helps them find meaning and improves the organization’s metrics. This week I want to explore what the conversation should include. You may be surprised to learn that it’s not all about what WE COMMUNICATE about values – it’s their questions that will help us bring values to life.
Talking About Ethics (Part 3)
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…
Talking About Ethics (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Dialogue is a powerful tool for developing ethical organizations. Workplace issues are complex and opinions vary about what ethical leadership means. This combination creates a kind of “murky uncertainty” that keeps leaders from giving us their best, most ethical performance.
Talking About Ethics (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Workplace issues are complex and opinions vary about the right thing to do in challenging situations. This complexity and uncertainty combine to create a “murky uncertainty” that may keep people from giving us their best, most ethical performance.
Leaders Make the Ethical Path Clear (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Taking the ethical path and showing others the way does not just involve the things leaders do that we can observe. It also involves the hidden things they do, the mental work they do to make good decisions that add value for others and not just themselves. Ethical leaders seek shared value. They look for ways to meet the needs of others while they champion their own projects and ideas. Why? Because they understand that they are responsible for honoring their well-being AND the well-being of others.
Ethical Leaders Adapt (Part 3)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leadership requires growth, a willingness to acknowledge complexity and an understanding of the broader context in which we lead. Use these resources to learn about how adaptation and ethical leadership are connected and check for learning blind spots.
Ethical Leaders Adapt (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leadership requires growth, a willingness to acknowledge complexity and an understanding of the broader context in which we lead. Use these resources to improve your ethical awareness and learn about the importance of staying on…
Ethical Leaders Adapt (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leadership requires growth, a willingness to acknowledge complexity and an understanding of the broader context in which we lead. None of those are easy. Today I'm sharing resources for understanding the importance of embracing complexity as the world changes.
Ethical Leadership: Adaptability is Essential
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ego-driven leaders want to be “right” even when the evidence shows otherwise. They see rightness as something fixed that they can control. Of course, it isn’t fixed and they can’t control it, but they may not want to be confused with the facts. Conversely, when ego is not driving the thinking process, leaders can adapt to changing information and circumstances and change their minds.
Adaptable Leaders Manage Their Egos
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ego has a way of undoing even our best intentions as leaders. We have to be aware of our ego and manage it to avoid getting off track. In a world that requires rapid adaptation to changing events and circumstances, ego tries to maintain the status quo and works against our ability to pivot in response to change. Think of the adaptable leader as piloting a boat, able to turn at a moment’s notice as the situation warrants it. The ego-driven leader, in contrast, is living in a fortress with a moat around it, protecting status and the status quo at all cost. The fortress can’t move, can’t pivot, can’t adapt to changing circumstances.
Leadership, Complexity and Control
By Linda Fisher Thornton Leaders who solve complex problems need a special blend of qualities – the curiosity to untangle the variables, the persistence to keep trying, and the openness to change beliefs and strategies as answers emerge from the chaos. But those qualities will only take them so far. They’ll also need to be great listeners and engaging leaders, so that they gather information from stakeholders and team members. They’ll need to be systems thinkers with a global mindset.
Leadership: It’s Not About Us
By Linda Fisher Thornton You may have noticed that society’s expectations of us as leaders are continuing to increase. Consumers prefer to purchase from companies that genuinely care about their well-being. Employees want to work for companies that treat people well, do meaningful work and give back to the community. To survive in this new land where ethics is key to success, we must understand that it is not all about us.
What is the Connection Between Ethics and The Human Soul?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Since the human soul is hard to define, we lack a blueprint for how it connects to ethical choices and actions. If you like digging into topics that some people think are difficult to define, read on.
Leading in Context 