Headshot of Linda Fisher Thornton

Linda Fisher Thornton

Adjunct Professor, Human Resource Management
  • Profile

    Linda Fisher Thornton is a leadership development professional who specializes in ethical leadership development and is the author of 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership. She has received a Top Thought Leaders in Trust Lifetime Achievement Award from Trust Across America-Trust Around the World, and was awarded the Itzkowitz Family Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award by the University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies in 2022.

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    • Awards

      Itzkowitz Family Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award, University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies, May, 2022

      Named in the Top 100 Leadership Speakers for 2018 in Inc. magazine.

      Recognized for 15 years of teaching service, University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies, January 2018

      Awarded a Top Thought Leaders in Trust: 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award (featured on the cover of the Winter 2017 issue of Trust! Magazine)

      Leading in Context Blog in the Top 100 Socially Shared Leadership Blogs 2016-2017, 2015 and 2014 (CMOE)

      Nominated for the 2009 Distinguished Faculty Award, School of Continuing Studies, University of Richmond.

    • Presentations

      Thornton, L.F. (2022, October). 7 Lenses of Ethical Leadership. Opening keynote presented at the annual leadership conference, Michigan Association of School Boards.

      Thornton, L.F. (2016, October). Decoding the complexity of doing the right thing. Presentation at the Student and Faculty Forum, Plymouth State University.

      Thornton, L.F. (2016, April). Seeing “Good Leadership” through 7 Lenses of Ethical Responsibility. [Leadership Perspectives Webinar], International Leadership Association.

      Thornton, L. F. (2015, May). The 7 lenses of ethical leadership. Presentation to the Commonwealth Managers Association, Performance Management Group, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond

      Thornton, L. F. (2014, March). Ethical practice: A responsibility and an opportunity to bring out our best. Keynote address at the Virginia CSA Conference

      Thornton, L. F. (2012, October). The future of ethics and business leadership. Presentation to the Richmond Society of Human Resource Management. Richmond, Va.

    • Professional Experience

      Owner
      Leading in Context, LLC

    • Institutional Service

      Chair, SPCS Adjunct Faculty Advisory Committee, 2011-2013

  • Publications
    Books

    Thornton, L. F. (2013). 7 Lenses: Learning the principles and practices of ethical leadership. Richmond, Va.: Leading in Context.

    Journal Articles

    Thornton, L. F. (2014, January). Ethical leadership, 7 lenses: principles and practices, Warren Bennis Leadership Excellence Essentials

    Thornton, L.F. (2012). Ethical leadership: Leaders to discover it as a strategic advantage. The Human Factor (India), 3(12), 50-51.

    Thornton, L. F. (2010, March). Leadership ethics training: Why is it so hard to get it right? The Best of T&D: Leadership: The Best of Leadership Development 2006-2009, American Society for Training and Development. (Reprinted from Training and Development, 63(9), 58-61)
    Essays

    Thornton, L.F. (2010, June 14). Today, ethical leadership matters more than ever [Editorial]. Richmond Times-Dispatch, p. B1.

  • In the News

    The Top 100 Leadership Speakers for 2018 - Inc.
    Thu., Jan. 11, 2018

  • Links
    Leading in Context

    Blog