By Linda Fisher Thornton I previously wrote about the problem of selective respect and today I’ll address it’s evil twin. It has been happening right in front of us and has been amplified by social media – leaders speaking from a perspective of selective inclusion. This week, I’m sharing a collection of posts that explain the importance of full inclusion and how to recognize examples that stray from it.
Category: Context
What is Unethical Leadership?
By Linda Fisher Thornton This week I’m sharing posts that clearly describe what unethical leadership looks like, and caution readers about the risks of allowing it to continue. While I have always blogged about proactive ethical leadership, my posts on unethical leadership continue to be some of the most popular, so I know you’re looking for answers.
What Causes Ethical Failures?
By Linda Fisher Ethical leadership failures can be caused by different types of problems that may compound. Some of these problems are individual and others may be embedded in the organizational culture. In 7 Lenses, I describe the kind of proactive ethical leadership that builds ethical cultures. The book is a road map for how to lead ethically in a complex world. While 7 Lenses is written from a positive perspective to help leaders avoid ethical problems and create ethical cultures, I often get asked “What causes ethical failures? What goes wrong?”
A Manifesto For Ethical Leaders
By Linda Fisher Thornton We are here to focus on what’s right and what’s possible, not on what’s historical or convenient. We are here to serve others, not to profit from their vulnerabilities. We are here to make a positive difference, through intentional leadership and responsible choices.
10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe (Part 3)
Our moral grounding is more important than our goals and opinions. When we let our goals and opinions drive our thinking, we begin to believe that “anything goes” in the quest to meet those goals or defend those opinions. When our moral compass drives our thinking, we will question any goals that benefit us at the expense of others. Everything we do needs to be morally grounded. We need to assume that every issue is an ethical issue and approach it accordingly.
How Do Ethical Leaders Think?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Today I’m taking you inside the mind of the ethical leader to explore ethical thinking. What do ethical leaders think about? How do they make decisions? They are guided by a desire to have a positive impact. They think about what’s best for others, and seek mutual benefit. They think about ways to demonstrate their values in day-to-day leadership, even when faced with difficult challenges.
Ethical Thinking: Task Shortcuts Don’t Apply to People
By Linda Fisher Thornton What is flawed thinking? What harm can it cause? What can we do about it? This post looks at the harm we can do when we fall victim to our very human tendency to use flawed thinking about people who are not like us. If we don't question an assumption or a piece of information, we may automatically "file it" and let it become the basis for decisions and actions that are unethical.
Ethical Leadership: Understanding The Global Context
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.
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.
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.
Leading in Context 