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.
Category: Ethics Questions
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.
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.”
Self-Check For Sharing Opinions (Responsibly)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Lately we’ve been seeing too much content that is not grounded in understanding. Some of it is intentionally misleading and some of it is well-intentioned but misinformed. What this means is that we have to learn how to recognize misinformation, but also, and even more importantly, carefully tend how we convey our own opinions.
10 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2025 (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Part 1 of this series included the first 5 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2025. This week I'm sharing 5 more:
5 Things Grateful Leaders Do
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?
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.
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.
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.
What is (and Isn’t) Leadership?
By Linda Fisher Thornton It occurred to me while pruning shrubs that we have many mistaken
Top 10 Posts of 2023: Leading in Context Blog
By Linda Fisher Thornton Of the 52 weekly posts published on the Leading in Context Blog in 2023, these 10 were the most popular. See if you notice a theme that connects these new topics that readers accessed most frequently:
What’s the Difference? Is It Fake News or Misinformation?
By Linda Fisher Thornton Most people are concerned about how much information that is "out there" isn't true. And UPenn found that "misinformation works much more easily than the efforts to undo it. Their data revealed that misinformation is almost always accepted as fact — a staggering 99.6% of the time — whereas attempts to correct it succeed only in only 83% of cases." (UPenn, Misinformation, Misconceptions, and Conspiracy Theories in Communication)
10 Years of Top Posts: Leading in Context Blog
By Linda Fisher Thornton This week I’m sharing The Last 10 Years of Top Posts on the Leading in Context Blog. It’s a time capsule of the issues you thought were most important over the last 10 years. For each year, I have selected a theme that reflects the topics and focus of the reader's most read posts.
Leading in Context 