27 September 2023

Five steps to build compassionate leadership capacity

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Laurel Donnellan* says compassionate leaders are more successful and drive success in their organisations. She shares tips to help people increase their compassion.


“Ninety-one per cent of leaders surveyed say compassion is very important for leadership and 80 per cent say they want to enhance their compassion but don’t know-how.” – (Harvard Business Review: February 2018)

Becoming a more compassionate leader gives you and your organisation an advantage, especially as we all face uncertain times and work to build our economy and provide meaningful work.

Love fuels compassion, so leading with love and leading with compassion are intertwined.

As we face gun violence, racial and economic inequities, climate change, the devastation created by a pandemic, and other challenges, we need to embrace the practice of leading with love.

Over the last twenty years, studying compassion and its impact on individuals and cultures has emerged from universities.

Not surprisingly, compassionate leadership has been proven to fuel positive change in organisations and beyond.

The scholars have caught up with the sages who have touted the benefits of love and compassion for thousands of years.

As a leader, you may wonder how to lead with love in a way that positively impacts you, your stakeholders, and your organisation.

The process will involve a self-examination, learning new approaches, and practicing leadership as a whole and embodied experience.

Here are five steps to help you, make changes:

1. Start with self-compassion.

Developing self-care practices and patience with yourself is the best place to begin. For example, as this work- week comes to a close focus on the progress you made, rather than your mistakes.

2. Model vulnerability.

It’s impossible to build a loving and compassionate organisation if people hide their emotions, mistakes, and need for support. As a leader, show people that it is ok to be a real, imperfect, and whole.

3. Practice being compassionate with others on and off the job.

For an organisational change context, I define compassion as the embodied act of preventing or alleviating suffering for all stakeholders.

To begin, ask yourself, how can use more compassion and I lead with love in this situation?

Developing compassionate leadership can be done at home, in your community, and at work. And remember to practice self-compassion as you develop your capacity.

4. Read about leading with compassion and love.

Here is a Leading with Love Reading List I compiled from compassionate scholars, thinkers, and practitioners.

  • Brené Brown. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
  • Maria Church. Love-Based Leadership:The Model for Leading with Strength, Grace, and Authenticity.
  • Kristin Neff.Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.
  • Scott Shute. The Full Body Yes: Change Your Work and Your World from the Inside Out.
  • Laila Tarraf. Strong Like Water: How I Found the Courage to Lead with Love in Business and in Life.
  • Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli. Compassionomics (The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference)
  • Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton. Awakening Compassion at Work.

5. Make a leading with love plan for the next week.

Write down three simple actions you can take referring to 1-4 above that you can complete in the next seven days including one action related to being kinder to yourself and perhaps, buying one the books from the list.

*Laurel Donnellan is the founder and Chief Executive of Compassionate Leaders Circle

This article first appeared at ivyexec.com.

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