By Linda Fisher Thornton As humans, we are flawed thinkers who easily fall victim to biases and traps. The biases and traps we so easily fall into reshape our thinking in ways that can lead us to make bad decisions. As you review the list of leadership traps below, think about how each can lead to unethical thinking and actions.
Category: Ethical Thinking
Unethical Leadership: Selective Inclusion
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.
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 6)
By Linda Fisher Thornton We will build a better world. When we think of the term “stakeholder” in its broadest interpretation, and lead with care, our proactive ethical leadership generates ripples of trust. We make a difference. When we seek a simultaneous win for many stakeholders, we: Create a better future for the organization, it’s customers and employees. Support healthy communities. Make a difference in the world.
10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe (Part 5)
By Linda Fisher Thornton We should serve as positive role models. We model ethical leadership through our character, integrity, behavior, and choices. Our role is to listen, learn and improve, serving as a role model for what ethical behavior looks like. We model the ethical behavior we ask of others. We realize that we can only bring out the best in those we lead when we demonstrate our commitment to ethics and show them the way.
10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe (Part 4)
We must take responsibility. The world is changing. There is a powerful responsibility movement going on. We know more about what leaders should be doing, and we know more about what responsible leadership looks like. People need to be able to count on us to take responsibility. Everyone is counting on us to take responsibility. Taking responsibility for using ethical thinking and behavior will not only change everything we do, it will earn the respect of others, and change how we feel about ourselves.
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.
10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe (Part 2)
Our purpose is to create value for others. When we reflect sincerely on our purpose as leaders, we come to a profound realization: as leaders, we are not the center of the universe. It’s not about us. Leadership is about creating value for others.
10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe (Part 1)
What are the deep beliefs that will help us think beyond ourselves? 10 Things Ethical Leaders Believe:
Ethical Thinking is Multidimensional
Our brains take shortcuts to save us time. We know this happens. If it didn’t, we’d have to re-learn to drive every time we left for work. But, how can we be sure that we’re thinking things through carefully and not just reacting on autopilot to the crisis of the moment? Is our thinking on autopilot? Is that autopilot programmed to make ethical decisions? In the process of writing my new leadership book, 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership, I created a clear framework for learning to be an ethical leader. This framework replaces our autopilot (that will take us “who-knows-where”) with an intentional values-based thinking process.
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.
Decoding The DNA of Ethical Education
By Linda Fisher Thornton We have learned that human DNA is not fixed, but changing. We all have DNA markers that are turned on or off by our life choices and experiences. There are specific things educators do to enable ethical education. Like markers in our DNA, these important factors in education switch on responsible education. In their absence, a switch turns to "off" that damages people's willingness and ability to learn.
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.
Leading in Context 