ABSTRACT
The recent pandemic demonstrated the importance of leading with compassion. Compassionate leaders understand and care for those they lead. Through an analysis of recent publications on compassionate leadership and personal stories of leadership experiences, the author defines what compassionate leadership is, and identifies skills and traits that leaders need to harness to excel in today's changing workplace. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Library Administration is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
RATIONALE AND AIM: Nurses caring for critically ill patients need compassionate attention and support, especially during exceptional times. The aim of this study was to provide a trustworthy description of nurses' experiences and expectations for compassionate leadership and compassion at a central hospital in Finland. The study was conducted during the early stage of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic. ETHICAL ISSUES AND APPROVAL: The voluntary nature and anonymity of the survey were stressed in the cover letter, to make sure that participants did not perceive any undue influence caused by participating in the study. METHODS: The participants were 50 intensive care and emergency nurses of a central hospital. An online survey tool with open questions was used to collect data on the meaning of compassion and on nurses' experiences and expectations of compassion and compassionate leadership. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The nurses reported a great variety of positive experiences of compassion, although the emphasis in this study seemed to be on the absence of compassion, especially in regard to leadership. The nurses expected individual attention and genuine physical and psychological presence from their immediate supervisors. STUDY LIMITATIONS: One researcher analysed the data, which can cause some bias in the qualitative analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate supervisors express compassion by being physically present and by fostering an open dialogue. Compassion received from leaders and colleagues may be reproduced in patient contacts, which can increase patients' confidence and psychological safety. Participatory and simulation-based learning methods, which involve shared reflection, are recommended for compassionate leadership skills.
ABSTRACT
Recent disastrous events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has amplified the appeal for compassionate leadership in organizations and is viewed as the need of the hour. While compassion is a timeless concept, there appears to be a lack of clarity around the idea of compassionate leadership, and the current understanding appears limited, fragmented, and scattered across the literature. This integrative systematic review of 41 articles during the last 20 years (2002–2021) conceptualizes six critical dimensions of compassionate leadership, namely: empathy;openness and communication;physical, mental health and well-being;inclusiveness;integrity;respect and dignity. These findings enhance our understanding of how organizational leaders can effectively incorporate the dimensions to become compassionate leaders. The review examines how compassionate leadership is defined and understood in the literature, and a contribution in the form of a definition for compassionate leadership is offered. Finally, gaps in the literature are highlighted, offering avenues for future research, along with implications for research, theory, and practice. © 2023, The Author(s).
ABSTRACT
Grounded on two of the most influential models of emotional intelligence and self-leadership theory, the proposed conceptual framework in this study reflects the importance of self-compassion in leadership effectiveness. Compared to previous studies, which mainly originate in task and material-oriented cultures, the HEART-led framework, posits a fresh, dynamic approach to leadership development. Calling for a return to the primordial leadership qualities of mindfulness, integrity, resilience and compassionate human connection, this model resonates more with the much-needed leadership skills of the post covid-19, digital age. Findings from the literature review reveal that self-compassion positively affects emotional intelligence levels and self-directed behaviours, such as optimism and initiative, which in turn influence leadership effectiveness. Preliminary qualitative evidence from the framework's application in management education suggests that compassionate self-leadership can be taught and that it can be transferred to a variety of learning contexts both in higher education and the workplace with encouraging results. © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate how intensive and emergency nurses rated the adequacy of compassionate leadership during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: The pandemic has resulted in nurses' increased stress and need for compassion from leaders. Compassionate leadership is here defined as a number of leadership practices based on altruistic values and emotional intelligence. METHOD: This is a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire for 50 intensive and emergency care nurses in a central hospital in Finland. RESULTS: The pandemic had increased nurses' need for compassion, but their needs for support had not been met and their strengths and competence appreciated sufficiently. They agreed that compassionate leadership could be developed through experience and personal development rather than through education. CONCLUSION: Compassionate leadership is a process that involves a number of leadership practices based on altruistic values and emotional intelligence and benefits from recognition and use of employee strengths. Leaders and employees could benefit from simulation-based learning, work supervision and discussion led by external facilitators. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Compassionate leadership involves approachability, genuine presence and listening, which could be developed through work-based learning combined with reflection.