Social Media for “Good”

The 5 reasons to engage in social media describe how social media can benefit us as leaders who are learning in complex times, but that's only one dimension of the benefit of connected communication through social media. In this post I'll explore some of the ways social media can be used for "good."

Becoming “Business Leader Future”

"Business Leader Future" Post Struck a Chord With Readers The response to the February 1, 2012 post "Business Leader Future: A Sketch" has been overwhelming. Thanks so much to all of you who retweeted, commented on and shared it on your favorite social media channels. At the end of this post is a visual story, via Storify, of selected reader comments.

100 Communication Future Articles

"Communication Future" Our understanding of communication is changing rapidly and these articles preview what the future of communication may look like (and a history of where it's been). What Do We Need to Know? Successful communication requires new approaches in a connected global society. Some of the trends and changes featured in these articles include:

Future of Learning 2011

Learning and Motivation We now understand so much more about how people learn and what motivates them than we did as recently as ten years ago. People prefer to learn in their own ways, at their own pace, using the resources they choose. They enjoy following their curiosity and creating their own meaning.

Leaders & Social Media: 5 Reasons to Engage

Leaders and Information Overload In today's world of work, we have to keep up with an overwhelming amount of information scan trends and forecasts and incorporate the needs of multiple stakeholders into good solutions. Our job is to make sense out of all of it in order to make work life easier for those we lead. Since the world changes fast, we have to learn fast... and share it fast with our employees...and adapt to what we've learned. Social media has become the fastest information media available, tackling emerging issues long before mainstream publications do.

Ethical Leaders Care

Many Programs Focus on Risk While many ethics programs focus on the risk side of ethics - compliance with laws and regulations, avoiding lawsuits, etc., there is an equally important side of ethics that involves helping others develop their own skills and abilities in ways that support the organization's mission. One important aspect of ethical leadership that may be overlooked when we view ethics using a "legal lens" is developing the performance potential of the people we lead. If we only think about following laws and avoiding legal problems, we may miss the important aspects of care that are part of ethical leadership.

Shared Ethical Values Part 2

Shared Ethical Values Part 2 - A Reader Asked for More! At the request of a reader via a comment on Linked In (thanks for the suggestion Jan!) this post features more sources and more recent sources of information about shared ethical values on a global scale. The Names Vary, But it's All About Ethical Values While the titles may vary, including "corporate social responsibility" or "global business" they are all addressing shared values and principles of responsible business in a global economy.

Disposable Marketing Freebies: What Message Are We Sending?

Consumers Want Sustainable Marketing Many consumers now shop around for "ethical" companies and those consumers expect a new kind of business marketing - the kind with a long-term view and a sustainable approach. When we decide what to hand out to customers that will help them remember our company, we need to consider the unintentional messages our choices may be sending.

100th Blog Post: The Ethical Leadership Training Challenge

This graphic is a wordle of the article "Ethical Leadership Training: Why is it So Hard to Get it Right?" which was published in the September 2009 issue of Training and Development by the American Society of Training and Development and then was reprinted in its Best of Leadership 2009: Leadership Development issue. The full article is posted on the LeadinginContext®.com website: LeadinginContext.com/Articles

de Klerk’s Powerful Message: Conquering Fear in The Quest for a Shared Future

I was honored to have the opportunity to hear F. W. de Klerk speak in person last week when he visited the University of Richmond and spoke at the Jepson Leadership Forum about his role in ending apartheid in South Africa. In his remarks he said many powerful things about leadership in a global society. The one that struck a chord with me most was about "radical change."