By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leadership is a journey, not a destination. Imagine walking for hours toward the distant horizon. No matter how fast or how far you walk, the horizon will always be out there, some distance away from you. The same is true for ethical leadership. No matter how far we go, we never "arrive."
Category: Context
The Ethics and Self-Interest Paradox
By Linda Fisher Thornton There was a lively discussion on LinkedIn in response to my post "Ethics" Means Acting Beyond Self-Interest." Readers joined in the discussion and came up with some very interesting observations.
8 Posts (And a Trend Report) On Global Thinking
By Linda Fisher Thornton Using globally-informed thinking helps us succeed in a connected economy and a global society. This week, I decided to corral a collection of posts that help us understand ethical leadership in a global context.
When is a Decision an Ethical One?
By Linda Fisher Thornton As we think about our decisions, which ones do we recognize as "ethical?" Complying with laws and ethics codes clearly has ethical implications. But what about these decisions?
“Dial it Back” (Over-Solving Problems Can Be Unethical)
By Linda Fisher Thornton Sometimes out of fear, convenience, profit (or marketing promises) we use a solution that goes way beyond what is necessary to solve the problem. There are broad ethical implications of over-solving problems, and this post will explore some of them.
What Variables Impact How Freely We Extend Trust?
By Linda Fisher Thornton The recent post Should Trust Be Freely Offered or Conditionally Earned? generated lively discussions in LinkedIn Groups about extending trust when we meet someone new. It was clear from the discussions that trust has many different dimensions, and that those dimensions are perceived differently by different people.
13 Leadership Temptations (to Conquer in 2013)
By Linda Fisher Thornton 13 Leadership Temptations To Conquer In 2013 We're starting a new year, with fresh possibilities, and it is a good time to think about our leadership values. What do we believe? How do we treat others? What matters to us? Can people determine our values just by watching how we treat people? As we think about how we want to lead this year, we need to recognize that it is tempting to make easy short-term decisions that end up having ethical consequences in the long run.
100 Trends to Watch For 2013
By Linda Fisher Thornton 100 Trends to Watch For 2013 As we head into 2013, the trend reports at the links below will give you a "business leader's preview" of what to expect in sectors that range from consumer trends,…
10 Thinking Traps (That Ethical Leaders Avoid)
Avoid These 10 Thinking Traps What are some of the thinking traps that we fall into as leaders? I'm not referring to "correlation versus causation" and other logical reasoning problems. There are some common ways of thinking about business leadership that…
“Ethics” Means Acting Beyond Self-Interest
By Linda Fisher Thornton "Ethics" Means Acting Beyond Self-Interest Ethics is fundamentally about acting beyond our own self-interests. Can we be ethical without considering others and acting in ways that benefit them? Here are some interesting questions and quotes on the subject.
What Does Ethical Consumerism Mean for Business?
What is Ethical Consumerism? Ethical consumerism means that more customers are choosing to purchase goods that are ethically sourced, ethically made and ethically distributed. In her article "Ethical Consumerism and Conservatism: Hand in Glove" in the Heinz Journal, Jacqueline Payne describes the ethical consumer this way:
Failure is Part of Innovation
By Linda Fisher Thornton To Innovate, Rethink the Blueprint If we just try to make something better using the design blueprint that we've always used, it is very difficult to innovate. Using the blueprint we have used in the past ties us to the assumptions and limitations of those blueprints.
Civility is an Ethical Issue
by Linda Fisher Thornton The Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary defines civility as "polite, reasonable, and respectful behavior." These are the kinds of behaviors we use when we treat others with care. According to Michael Brannigan, The Pfaff Endowed Chair in Ethics and Moral Values at the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY., "Ethics deals fundamentally with how we treat each other on a daily basis. Indeed, our small acts of civility and incivility constitute the heart of morality."
Don’t Separate “Ethics” From “Leadership”
Preparing For Ethical Leadership Preparing leaders for ethical leadership is a long-term process. It requires careful thought about the messages we are sending. For example, what message are we sending when we separate ethics training from other leadership training? The Risks of "Separate" Ethics Training I believe that we take an unnecessary risk when we separate ethics training from the rest of a leader's development. When we separate ethics training and leadership training, we may be unintentionally sending the message that ethics is separate from leadership. What could be the harm of separating ethics from leadership?
The Leadership Development Advantage
by Linda Fisher Thornton Developing Leaders Pays Off Ongoing development for leaders helps companies. According to several recent reports, businesses that invest in leadership development enjoy clear advantages. These advantages include improved bench strength, improved talent retention and greater market value over time.
Leading in Context 