Systems Thinking: The Diet Soda Puzzle

By Linda Fisher Thornton Research is showing that diet sodas do not help prevent weight loss, and in fact may be a cause of weight gain. How can this be? Since the way we understand it depends on which kind of thinking we use, let's examine the issue using several different kinds of thinking.

Adaptation and Controlling Leadership Can’t Coexist

By Linda Fisher Thornton

Leaders who solve complex problems need a special blend of qualities - the curiosity to untangle the variables, the persistence to keep trying, and the openness to change beliefs and strategies as answers emerge from the chaos. 

Focusing on Profits? Watch Out For the “Blinder” Effect

By Linda Fisher Thornton

We need profits to exchange goods and services, pay bills and grow our businesses. So what's the problem with it? The problem is that profitability cannot become our defining business goal, and it cannot replace values as the central beacon of our decision-making.

Ethics and Trust are Reciprocal

By Linda Fisher Thornton

I was asked recently to explain in simple terms how ethics and trust are related. It is a great question, because we define trust and ethics in so many different ways.

Here are some observations about how trust and ethics are related, and what their relationship means for us as organizational leaders.

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: