Leading in Context

APRIL 6, 2011

Systems and connections are the stuff we and organizations are made of. To begin to solve today's complex problems, systemic and connected thinking is the kind of thinking we need to use.

System 221

System Resources Organization Ethics 221

Leading in Context

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

What is Transdiciplinarity? The Institute for the Future and the University of Phoenix Research Institute list transdisciplinarity as #7 in a list of skills critical for Workforce 2020. They define it as "understanding concepts across multiple disciplines.".

Skills 220

Skills Ethics Trends Globalization 220

Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

All of us who lead and develop leaders need to be tuned in to the "New Leading." To embrace the "New Leading," we need to realize that leadership and ethics are joined in important ways. Many leaders have traditionally thought of ethics and leadership as two different things. That fragmented way of thinking is part of why we've reached a point where there are so many examples of ethical violations in the news.

Ethics 219

Ethics Examples Development Leadership 219

Leading in Context

MARCH 30, 2011

As a society, we are beginning to redefine ethical leadership. The change started quietly, fueled by a web of linked communication channels and a desire for a more civil way of dealing with each other.

Ethics 211

Ethics Globalization Leadership Organization 211

Leading in Context

JUNE 29, 2011

Why is it such a challenge to determine how we interpret "ethical leadership?" Because there are many different ways of determining what we consider to be ethical. Even while trying to be responsible we can still miss the mark by a mile. Consider some of the possible ways that a leader might interpret ethics.

Ethics 211

Ethics Leadership Training Organization 211

Leading in Context

DECEMBER 7, 2011

How Will People Learn to Think Ethically if We Don't Teach Them? While we place a heavy emphasis on corporate education and childhood education as a nation, we don't often see "learning to think ethically" on the classroom agenda or the corporate training schedule. How can people be expected to navigate the complexities of life and work responsibly without learning how to think ethically?

Ethics 207

Ethics Education Training How To 207

Leading in Context

MAY 18, 2011

What happens in business environments where curiosity and imagination flourish? How are curiosity and imagination related to ethics and business leadership? How are curiosity and imagination important in today's business environment?

Ethics 207

Ethics Environment Leadership Organization 207

Leading in Context

DECEMBER 14, 2011

The idea for this post came from a reader's comment about how new the area of social media leadership is to the leadership community (Thanks Justin!).

Media 222

Media Leadership Resources Ethics 222

Leading in Context

APRIL 13, 2011

Why Does C-Suite Behavior Matter So Much? C-Suite behavior matters because people do what they see the senior leaders do. If employees see dysfunctional behaviors among senior leaders, they assume that there is complete acceptance of those dysfunctional behaviors throughout the organization and see it as a "green light" for them to use those same behaviors whenever they like.

Ethics 201

Ethics Leadership Organization Training 201

Leading in Context

AUGUST 31, 2011

As we struggle day-to-day with what ethics means in business, groups of concerned leaders around the world are studying common ethical values that could clarify ethical behavior and unite us in a common global code of ethics. There are resources readily available that present ethical values in a global context and provide guidance for ethical corporate behavior.

Ethics 197

Ethics Consensus Globalization Resources 197

Leading in Context

JULY 20, 2011

Are All Sustainable Businesses Ethical? Are all sustainable businesses ethical? Not necessarily. There are ways that sustainable businesses can operate unethically, including pretending to be more sustainable than they really are, or making decisions that are dishonest or cause harm. Sustainability is multi-faceted and is just one of many areas of concern in leading an ethical organization.

Ethics 193

Ethics Operations Organization Training 193

Leading in Context

MAY 4, 2011

Chemicals that alter the brain and other human systems are still frequently being used in food and drink in place of natural ingredients, even though research is showing that they cause major harm to human health. Some of those chemicals alter the brain's ability to signal that the stomach is full, leading to inability to control cravings.

Chemicals 193

Chemicals Ethics Planning System 193

Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

Ethics Training Shouldn't be Boring Keeping people engaged in the process of learning about ethical leadership is important. I see so many tweets from people attending ethics classes about how bored they are and how they already know the material that's being reviewed. Are these participants learning? Or are they being given information that covers some area of perceived risk but has no value to them in their day-to-day worlds?

Ethics 191

Ethics Training Class Participative 191

Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

Thank you for being committed to responsible leadership, and for following the Leading in Context® Blog. This Index includes over 100 posts that I have written on a wide variety of subjects related to responsible leadership. May they help you be successful on your leadership journey. Linda Fisher Thornton, CEO/Owner, Leading in Context LLC, LeadinginContext®.com © 2009-2011 Leading in Context LLC.

Blog 191

Blog Commitment CEO Leadership 191

Leading in Context

MARCH 9, 2011

Sticking to yesterday's conventional wisdom can make us out-of-date, because it helps us ignore any information that contradicts our beliefs. It can lead us to make decisions based on out-of-date ways of thinking, and that may result in missed opportunities or even to bad decisions that can harm others. In this case, even though we do not set out to make bad decisions, the consequences of those decisions are just as real.

Leadership 189

Leadership Information Ethics Organization 189

Leading in Context

JUNE 8, 2011

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.

Ethics 176

Ethics Training Blog Leadership 176

Leading in Context

OCTOBER 26, 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.

Motivation 170

Motivation Resources Ethics Trends 170

Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

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.

Ethics 170

Ethics Globalization Information Trends 170

Leading in Context

AUGUST 10, 2011

Ethics Codes are Recommended You don't have to be a big business to stray (intentionally or unintentiaonally) into unethical business behavior. That's why ethics codes are recommended for any size business these days.

Ethics 170

Ethics Organization Leadership Development Development 170

Leading in Context

APRIL 20, 2011

We are learning through research that nutrition is more complex and delicately balanced than we had thought. Changing foods or using only part of a food that we think of as healthy may change the health benefits drastically.

Ethics 169

Ethics Training Leadership Development Development 169

Leading in Context

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

Which companies are the world's most ethical? It depends on who you ask! Three reports posted at Ethisphere.com, MillwardBrown.com and Forbes.com reveal their rankings. Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies 2011 at Ethisphere.com organizes the mostethical companies by industry and country. Ethics Impacts Top Brand Value The Forbes Top Brands Report at Forbes.com lets us choose how you want to see the rankings by clicking the term at the top of the table.

Ethics 165

Ethics Company Advertising Brand 165

Leading in Context

MAY 25, 2011

There is a growing body of research across disciplines that shows that the impact of our interpersonal behavior as leaders is important than we ever imagined. The ways that we can help or harm people as a leader directly relate to the health of our businesses, and the well-being of our employees and co-workers.

Ethics 163

Ethics Training Organization Leadership Development 163

Leading in Context

OCTOBER 12, 2011

5 Sources for Understanding and Avoiding Leader Bias 1. "The Vision Renewal Process: How to Achieve Bias-Free Leadership" Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D. Worforce Diversity Networ.

Diversity 163

Diversity Process Leadership How To 163

Leading in Context

NOVEMBER 2, 2011

"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.

Article 156

Article Trends Globalization Succession 156

Leading in Context

JULY 27, 2011

As of today, after over 100 posts, these are the Top 10 Most Popular Leading in Context® Blog Posts: Planned Obsolescence: Is it Ethical? No. Can We Still Have the Newest Gadgets? Yes! Case Study: Is Withholding Information From Other Leaders Unethical? Ethical Interpersonal Behavior Graphic: Red, Yellow and Green Zones Ethical Leadership Resources.

Blog 156

Blog Ethics Case Study Resources 156

Leading in Context

MARCH 23, 2011

What is Judging? If each person's view is different from the views of others, then what is judging? A limited worldview that only allows the views of one person or group Promoting one's own thinking as the "perfection" of thinking An attempt (intentional or not) to make ourselves look smarter by belittling another person or group An attempt to control the behavior and thinking of others or groups.

Ethics 156

Ethics Organization 156

Leading in Context

DECEMBER 28, 2011

As we head into the New Year, here are some questions for us to ask ourselves as leaders:

Ethics 219

Ethics Leadership Development Skills Development 219

Leading in Context

JUNE 22, 2011

The Trouble With Using Only People-Based "Ethics" Being concerned about people is a very important aspect of ethical leadership. The trouble with using only a people-based definition of "ethics" is that by using the impact on people as the only way to make decisions we may be ignoring these other variables: The impact of our business operations on the planet The long-term unintended consequences of our choices The changing consumer mindset toward sustainable business and avoiding harm.

Ethics 154

Ethics Long-term Definition Operations 154

Leading in Context

MARCH 16, 2011

This week's post offers 18 resources that will make ethical leadership easier to understand and implement in your organization. 17 of the 18 tools are free. The list of resources is organized around questions that you may have about how to build an ethical culture.

Ethics 154

Ethics Resources Tools Organization 154

Leading in Context

AUGUST 17, 2011

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.

Marketing 145

Marketing Ethics Long-term Company 145

Leading in Context

JULY 13, 2011

Sleep and Ethical Behavior Besides the fact that mistakes and accidents may increase at work due to lack of sleep, there is evidence that lack of sleep also contributes to the likehood of unethical behavior and to serious physical and mental harm. Here are some of the questions that this post will explore: 1. Is it ethical to force people to become sleep deprived?

Ethics 145

Ethics Leadership Leadership Development Development 145

Leading in Context

JUNE 1, 2011

If we use fear-based leadership, bullying, command-and-control leadership, belittling, sabotage or other forms of psychological violence, or allow them to be used by others in our organizations, we create the opposite of a supportive, productive learning organization. We create an environment of toxic stress that harms people and the organization. LeadinginContext.com.

Stress 145

Stress Leadership Learning Organization Environment 145

Leading in Context

MAY 11, 2011

The Trouble With Profit-Based "Ethics" The trouble with using a profit-based definition of "ethics" is that by using profitability as a way to make decisions, an entire spectrum of other issues is conveniently ignored:

Ethics 145

Ethics Definition Organization Leadership 145

Leading in Context

MARCH 2, 2011

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.".

Power 133

Power Globalization Leadership Ethics 133

Leading in Context

JULY 6, 2011

The context for ethical leadership is broader than you may think.

Ethics 200

Ethics Leadership Trends Training 200

Leading in Context

AUGUST 3, 2011

We could define a "good product" a number of different ways. For example, tasty convenient clean colorful nutritious.

Productivity 146

Productivity Products Examples Ethics 146

Leading in Context

JUNE 15, 2011

We have learned a great deal about how people learn.

Report 145

Report Development Article Ethics 145