Leading in Context

JUNE 8, 2022

By Linda Fisher Thornton Managing the ethics of artificial intelligence is only becoming more complex over time, and the stakes are high for finding a path forward. This week I am sharing a special report "AI: Where Are We Now?" published by EDUCAUSE.

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Leading in Context

MARCH 8, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethics has a compounding effect on culture, and our leadership choices determine whether that effect will be positive or negative. The tricky part about managing ethical culture is that every leader decision and action throughout the organization is changing the equation.

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Leading in Context

JUNE 9, 2021

By Linda Fisher Thornton Developing ethical leaders and building ethical cultures have become critical business priorities. As if that weren't already challenging enough, managing ethics well also requires systems thinking and a broad understanding of ethical responsibilities. Why is ethics such a challenge for organizations?

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Leading in Context

DECEMBER 14, 2022

This week's four ways to advance ethics in your organization focus on MANAGING THE SYSTEM. By Linda Fisher Thornton The first post in this series addressed ACCOUNTABILITY. The second asked you to evaluate your IMPACT.

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Leading in Context

JANUARY 12, 2022

It featured three areas of managing trust that are most often lacking in organizations. By Linda Fisher Thornton The Top Post Series for last year on the Leading in Context Blog reflected the ethical challenges of repairing damaged trust in organizations.

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Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

We have to be aware of our ego and manage it to avoid getting off track. By Linda Fisher Thornton Ego has a way of undoing even our best intentions as leaders. In a world that requires rapid adaptation to changing events and circumstances, ego tries to maintain the status quo and works against our ability to pivot in response to change.

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Leading in Context

MAY 23, 2012

In the leadership development world, creativity is getting a great deal of attention now. This post begins to answer those important leadership questions. What is Creativity? But what is it? Can you learn it? Is it a skill? How do we lead in ways that encourage it? When we explore the question "What is creativity?"

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Leading in Context

FEBRUARY 16, 2022

As you watch, think about the tradeoffs you and your organization have had to manage as you navigated the global pandemic.

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Leading in Context

APRIL 1, 2020

Our current challenges can only be managed with everyone pulling together to make good choices. As we all grapple with the pandemic, I am grateful to see so many businesses sharing resources and ideas freely and. finding a way to do some good for others.

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Leading in Context

MARCH 27, 2024

By Linda Fisher Thornton One of the thinking traps that people fall into is putting people into categories. This may result in assigning a derogatory label to the category, and making blanket statements about how "all people" from that category are a certain way.

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Leading in Context

APRIL 3, 2013

By Linda Fisher Thornton I was recently invited to co-present an ASTD Public Manager Webcast “Developing Ethical Leaders and an Ethical Government Brand” with John Umana. While the Webcast which aired on March 19, 2013 was customized for government HR and Training leaders, the content is applicable across industries.

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Leading in Context

OCTOBER 31, 2012

Managing diversity without inclusion as the ultimate goal can make a big difference in the way employees experience our organization. That may not seem like a profound statement at first, but think about it for a moment. Diversity is about having different types of employees, right? It is a good thing. But it's not enough.

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Leading in Context

JANUARY 17, 2024

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.

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Leading in Context

JANUARY 10, 2024

By Linda Fisher Thornton The Top Post Series for last year on the Leading in Context Blog reflected how to navigate the nuances of ethical culture building. It featured specific areas of focus and strategies for building an ethical culture in your organization.

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Leading in Context

JULY 19, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton Preparing leaders for ethical leadership is a long-term process. For example, what message are we sending when we separate ethics training from other leadership training? It requires careful thought about the messages we are sending.

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Leading in Context

JANUARY 3, 2024

By Linda Fisher Thornton Of the 52 weekly posts published on the Leading in Context Blog in 2023, these 10 were the most popular. See if you notice a theme that connects these new topics that readers accessed most frequently:

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Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

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.

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Leading in Context

DECEMBER 21, 2022

These 12 Gifts of Leadership are on the wish lists of employees around the world. By Linda Fisher Thornton How do we lead when we want to bring out the best in people? They aren't expensive. They don't require dealing with the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, and one size fits all.

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Leading in Context

AUGUST 23, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton Who we include in our ethical thinking, and how broadly we consider our responsibility to others are both important elements of ethical leadership. In Part 1 of this series, I explored the Depth of our thinking, and in Part 2, I broke down issues related to understanding Context.

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Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

By Linda Fisher Thornton In Part 1 of this series on Recognizing Ethical Issues, I addressed the gaps in our thinking that require us to develop an ethical alert system. in Part 2, I explored why some leaders who want to do the right thing still don't "do the work" to learn how to do it.

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Leading in Context

JUNE 1, 2022

By Linda Fisher Thornton The definition of "good leadership" is changing over time as people become more aware of the long term impact of poor leadership decisions. Watch this video for a quick overview of this evolution and why more is expected of leaders now.

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Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton This series has explored 5 important leadership spheres of Ethical Thinking and Decision Making. This week I’m summing it up in a checklist that will help you apply all 5 to your daily choices.

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Leading in Context

JANUARY 25, 2023

Whatever happens, the start of a new year is a great time to take stock of our leadership strengths and areas for improvement. By Linda Fisher Thornton What will 2023 be like? We've been through so much over the past few years. Will things be better?

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Leading in Context

AUGUST 9, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton In Part 1 of this series I looked at the importance of Deep Thinking. In Part 2, we’ll consider the Context. No matter how much effort it takes to understand the context, we can’t expect to make an ethical decision without taking that step.

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Leading in Context

MAY 4, 2022

By Linda Fisher Thornton More commitments than time. Six or more meetings a day. Eating at your desk. Does any of this sound familiar?

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Leading in Context

AUGUST 16, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical Thinking and Decision Making require staying grounded in ethical values, but there is much more to do than knowing our values and living them every day through our choices. In Part 1 of this series, I explored the Depth of our thinking, and in Part 2, I broke down issues related to understanding Context.

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Leading in Context

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

By Linda Fisher Thornton Have you noticed the steady increase in the complexity of navigating our daily lives? It feels like we have too many choices, too much information, and not enough time.

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Leading in Context

DECEMBER 8, 2021

By Linda Fisher Thornton This series includes 22 quotes (linked to 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 11. Here are 11 more:

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Leading in Context

AUGUST 30, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton While change is a constant reality, it doesn’t always factor into leadership thinking. In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, I explored the Depth of our thinking, and the importance of understanding Context. In Part 3 and Part 4, I looked at embracing Complexity and the importance of full Inclusion.

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Leading in Context

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton This week I’m sharing The Last 10 Years of Top Posts on the Leading in Context Blog. It’s a time capsule of the issues you thought were most important over the last 10 years. For each year, I have selected a theme that reflects the topics and focus of the reader's most read posts.

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Leading in Context

JUNE 28, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton Workplace issues are complex and opinions vary about the right thing to do in challenging situations. This complexity and uncertainty combine to create a "murky uncertainty" that may keep people from giving us their best, most ethical performance.

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Leading in Context

APRIL 27, 2022

By Linda Fisher Thornton The 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 reading the discussions that trust has many different dimensions.

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Leading in Context

OCTOBER 12, 2022

By Linda Fisher Thornton As a leadup to a keynote I'm doing for the Michigan Association of School Boards, I was invited to submit a feature article for their fall issue of the MASB LeaderBoard.

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Leading in Context

APRIL 20, 2022

By Linda Fisher Thornton When we meet someone new, should we trust them right away? Should we assume that they are trustworthy and give them the benefit of the doubt, or should we hold back until we are sure that they are worthy of our trust?

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Leading in Context

AUGUST 2, 2023

By Linda Fisher Thornton Welcome to Part 1 in the series “Ethical Thinking and Decision Making for Leaders.” Welcome to Part 1 in the series “Ethical Thinking and Decision Making for Leaders.” Ethical decision-making is not simply a task.

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Leading in Context

JULY 21, 2021

By Linda Fisher Thornton Ethical leadership isn't something we can ever say we've fully accomplished. It's not about arriving at any particular place, or about achieving a certain level of knowledge.

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Leading in Context

JULY 14, 2021

Values shape your life, leadership, career and relationships. By Linda Fisher Thornton of values as a critical element in enabling and focusing individual and collective success.

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