By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leaders, who accept the realities of the a global marketplace and "learn through" complexity, see the world and their role in it at a high level.
Category: Ethical Thinking
Seeing The Facets Of Facts (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Building on last week’s post about Seeing the Facets of Facts, this week I’m digging into the dangers of “Partialized Facts.” When I say “Partialized Facts” I refer to treating one perspective on an issue (that is only part of the picture) as the whole truth. I have seen it happen so many times and it’s time to call it what it is – unethical.
Seeing the Facets of Facts (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Most of the time when we answer a question with a single response, that answer is only part of the picture. We have all seen leaders (who may feel a need to appear decisive) answer quickly without thinking through the implications of their response. When this happens, what they share is oversimplified and “partialized,” not a relevant or responsible interpretation of the complex issues involved.
Seeing Beyond Our Point of View: Essential For Ethical Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton Have you noticed the steady increase in the complexity of navigating our daily lives? It feels like we have too many choices, too much information, and not enough time. More information and more choices would be great if we had the time to research and decide, but the reality is that it’s difficult and time consuming to sort out which information is reliable and which is not.
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. Continually asking ourselves these questions keeps us sharp, focused and aware of our greater impact on others, organizations and society.
The Journey to Authentic Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton The journey to authentic leadership is not an easy one. It’s full of challenges, and it requires developing a high level of self- and other-awareness over time. “Knowledge experiences” alone won’t be enough to stimulate the kind of learning that is required on this important journey.
Help Young People Center Themselves in Values
By Linda Fisher Thornton make positive ethical choices and honor multiple dimensions of ethical responsibility.
Ethical Leaders Demonstrate Both Character and Integrity
By Linda Fisher Thornton Sometimes the terms Character and Integrity are used interchangeably, but they mean very different things. Let's take a look at the two terms and how they are related.
On Patriotism, Nationalism, and Globalism
By Linda Fisher Thornton There has been a lot of recent discussion around nationalism. The term has been used in ways that seem to put it on par with patriotism. To understand how it’s different, I’ll take a look at nationalism, patriotism and globalism using an ethical lens. Without seeing them through an ethical lens, the differences are less clear. Using an ethical lens, we begin to see that what appear to be subtle variations are vast differences in intent and impact.
5 Common Culture Gaps That Erode Ethical Leadership
By Linda Fisher Thornton My article, “Ethical Thinking Isn’t Automatic,” featured in the August issue of the Talent Development Journal, describes five culture gaps that inhibit ethical leadership. These culture gaps are common problems that organizations should watch for and avoid. “For ethical leadership to stick, the culture needs an infrastructure that consistently supports acting on stated values…Ethical cultures treat ethical thinking as something that must be cultivated, demonstrated, and practiced over time.”
Ethical Thinking, Ethical Self: 5 Things You Need to Know
By Linda Fisher Thornton Developing an “ethical self” is important for good citizenship and good leadership. But what does it involve? There’s more to developing and maintaining an ethical self than trying to make good choices. Making ethical choices isn’t easy, and while we’re struggling, our brains are actually working against us.
16 Answers to “What is Good Leadership?”
By Linda Fisher Thornton A theme I have noticed in the past in the most viewed posts on this blog is Looking For a Better Kind of Leadership. It's a great time to explore the question “What is Good Leadership? While it’s tempting to over simplify leadership and think about it as any one thing, good leadership can only be fully understood by thinking about it in multiple ways. Here is a starter list of 16 defining characteristics of good leadership:
Your Ethics: Is it a Priceless Asset?
By Linda Fisher Thornton I have been thinking about how lightly some leaders take the subject of ethics. Some ignore ethical issues altogether or think ethical issues are unimportant compared to concerns about profitability. It’s a risky choice to take ethics lightly. Why? Unlike heart or kidney transplants, there are no “ethics transplants” for people who have made bad ethical decisions.
Insights for the Class of 2025
By Linda Fisher Thornton As you begin to build your image of your future plans, I have 5 pieces of advice to share that may be useful. I wish someone had shared these life insights with me when I was a new graduate beginning the next chapter of my life.
What Does It Mean to “Do the Right Thing?”
By Linda Fisher Thornton The “Keep it Simple” approach is good for many situations, but keeping it simple will set you up for failure in ethics. Using an oversimplified approach to solving a complex ethical problem just means you leave out variables you should be considering.
Leading in Context 