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.
Category: Quotes
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.
Leader Mindset And The Ethical Use of Power
By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leaders understand that their role revolves around adding value for others, not for themselves. They are careful to avoid taking advantage of situations for personal gain or for the gain of their colleagues or friends. This other-centered focus keeps them thinking about how what they do will impact those they serve and others in the community.
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:
10 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2025 (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton This series includes 10 quotes (linked to blog posts) to inspire you and help you improve your leadership and leadership development as we head into the new year. Part 1 includes the first 5.
Top Post Series of 2024: Leading in Context Blog
By Linda Fisher Thornton The Top Post Series for last year on the Leading in Context Blog was called "10 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2024". It reflected insights for leaders into how to lead in ways that bring out the best in others, and featured specific areas of focus and strategies for living and leading with values.
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?
Leadership: It’s Not About Us
By Linda Fisher Thornton You may have noticed that society’s expectations of us as leaders are continuing to increase. Consumers prefer to purchase from companies that genuinely care about their well-being. Employees want to work for companies that treat people well, do meaningful work and give back to the community. To survive in this new land where ethics is key to success, we must understand that it is not all about us.
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.
10 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2024 (Part 2)
By Linda Fisher Thornton This series includes 10 quotes (linked to blog posts with leadership guidance) to inspire you and help you improve your leader development as we head into the new year. Part 1 included the first 5. Here are 5 more:
10 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2024 (Part 1)
By Linda Fisher Thornton This series includes 10 quotes (linked to blog posts with leadership guidance) to inspire you and help you improve your leader development as we head into the new year. Part 1 includes the first 5.
Wishing You Hope
By Linda Fisher Thornton Thank you, friends, for reading and sharing this Blog in 2023. I appreciate all the ways you have helped forward the movement toward authentic ethical leadership. Only by bringing out our best as leaders are we able to bring out the best in those we lead. As we head into this holiday season, I wish you hope. Hope is what keeps us going when problems seem impossible to solve, when time is short, and when solutions are distant. If your hopefulness should ever falter, remember these important words.
How to Tell What’s “Right” in a Complex Situation
By Linda Fisher Thornton To understand a complex situation, you first have to WANT to see it as it really is. This means letting go of preconceived ideas of what might be true, and being open to what may unfold as you learn more. After approaching the situation with this open mindset, you need to get more information. As you know from completing puzzles with lots of pieces, a few pieces do not show you the whole picture. As you complete a jigsaw puzzle, you start to see parts of the picture and begin to get a sense of it, but you're definitely still not seeing it as it really is.
Ethical Perspectives: Rights, Responsibilities, and Freedom
By Linda Fisher Thornton While some people think of rights, responsibilities and freedom separately, in a compartmentalized way, I believe they cannot be separated, and according to John Courtney Murray, freedom was always intended to be grounded in ethical values.
Leading in Context 