{"id":58816,"date":"2024-02-10T06:17:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-10T11:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ccl.org\/?post_type=articles&p=58816"},"modified":"2025-10-01T10:40:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T14:40:02","slug":"create-better-culture-start-with-compassionate-leadership","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ccl.org\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/create-better-culture-start-with-compassionate-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Culture Starts With Compassionate Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Compassionate Leadership Is a Choice, and It\u2019s All About Action<\/em><\/h2>\n

When faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, we count on good leaders to take actions that pave a way forward for us all.<\/p>\n

But better <\/em>leaders know that success is about more than just their own personal competencies. Leadership is a social process, and to create shared direction, alignment, and commitment \u2014 the outcomes of leadership<\/a> \u2014 they need a team of people who are able to function at their best.<\/p>\n

At the core of leading others well? Compassionate leadership.<\/p>\n

Compassion<\/em> is at the heart of relationship-building, says Karissa McKenna, who is responsible for 3 of our core leadership programs, including our flagship Leadership Development Program (LDP)\u00ae<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At its broadest, compassion is an awareness of a person\u2019s condition, coupled with genuine concern for that person and a willingness to take action to help. It\u2019s about having the courage to walk alongside someone as they navigate a difficult time, a complex situation, or a persistent problem.<\/p>\n

Truly compassionate leaders don\u2019t merely lend a sympathetic ear or show empathy for everyone, and their goal isn\u2019t <\/i>just to solve the problems of their direct reports or take pain away from them.<\/p>\n

Instead, compassionate leaders move beyond empathetic concern to take productive actions <\/em>\u2014 supporting team members as they work through challenges and looking for systemic ways to reduce friction, making it easier for good people to do great work.<\/p>\n

In short, compassionate leadership is about being willing to apply your influence and power to help create a more even playing field for others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To start talking about compassionate leadership at your workplace, download our free conversation guide and use it to hold a discussion with your team<\/a><\/strong>.<\/div>\n

Why Is Compassionate Leadership Important?<\/h2>\n

Compassionate leaders are more effective leaders,<\/strong> because they\u2019re able to strengthen trust on their teams and increase organizational collaboration, while decreasing turnover rates, research shows<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The ever-changing context of today\u2019s workplace is challenging. Both internal and external forces are constantly shifting \u2014 on our teams, in our industries, and even in our personal lives. All of these forces can come into play, which is why you have to have compassion \u2014 both for yourself and<\/em> for your team. As leaders demonstrate compassion toward themselves and others, they expand their entire team\u2019s capacity to handle future challenges.<\/p>\n

Compassion is one of the most powerful acts of leadership available to us, and it often shows up in the smallest of ways. \u201cWe see it in those moment-by-moment acknowledgements of what\u2019s hard, what hurts, what is joyous, exciting, or disappointing,\u201d McKenna says.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, compassionate leaders acknowledge that their colleagues are more than any specific trauma they\u2019ve endured or challenge they may be facing. In other words, they recognize that someone may be dealing with a particular hardship, but also that they have unique strengths. Compassionate leaders are able to see and acknowledge the whole person in context and seek to grow that person (not just solve their problems). In doing so, they uncover hidden talents and find new ways to leverage the skills and contributions of others.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, compassionate leadership changes an entire organization\u2019s culture, yielding greater cooperation and grace for all.<\/strong> Employees trust their leaders and each other, giving others the benefit of the doubt. As a result, senior leaders feel more comfortable taking bold, courageous actions. And when their people feel heard and sense that their perspectives and experiences are valued, they\u2019re better able to support those bold actions, which benefits the entire enterprise.<\/p>\n

Compassion Is Different From Empathy<\/h2>\n

Compassion Vs. Empathy, Explained<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to note that compassionate leadership is more than just feeling empathy for everyone.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the difference between compassion vs. empathy? Compassion is a lot like empathy, in that both attempt to understand how another person feels. And empathy in the workplace<\/a> is certainly good to have. But simply feeling what someone else is feeling can be painful, and not very productive.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because research has found<\/a> that when we witness the pain and suffering of someone else, networks in our brains are activated which trigger and amplify similar negative emotions, making us more likely to experience emotional burnout.<\/p>\n

For example, imagine an emergency room physician who feels overwhelming empathy toward their ER trauma patients. The doctor is then both less able to fulfill a unique and important role \u2014 providing expert help in a moment of need \u2014 and<\/em> more likely to experience personal burnout. \u201cWhat the physician needs isn\u2019t empathy, but compassion \u2014 <\/em>the ability to recognize the suffering and care for the person, quite literally in this case!\u201d McKenna says.<\/p>\n

In contrast to empathy, compassion has been found<\/a> to involve a different set of neural networks and increases positive feelings, resilience, and the ability to overcome distress in challenging situations. In other words, compassion increases our likelihood of behaviors that take action to help others, whereas empathy alone does not.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you sit with another person\u2019s emotions and \u2018get stuck in their suffering\u2019 without doing something about it, it can lead to burnout and broader organizational problems \u2014 both for you and your direct reports,\u201d McKenna says. That\u2019s why in chaotic times, when managers feel they can barely handle their own emotions, much less those of their direct reports, leaders should focus on compassion vs. empathy.<\/p>\n

Behaviors of Compassionate Leaders<\/h2>\n

How to Show Compassionate Leadership: 4 Steps<\/h3>\n

\"4<\/a><\/p>\n

During everyday interactions, leaders have many opportunities to incorporate compassionate leadership behaviors. Read on to learn how to recognize these opportunities and use them to make a difference on your team and in your organization\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n

1. Start with self-compassion.<\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t overlook the power of showing compassion to yourself. <\/strong>Before you can extend compassion to others, make sure you\u2019ve done the same for yourself. Research has found that leaders perform better when they show self-compassion, and it\u2019s actually more predictive of goal attainment than self-confidence, according to one study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least a third of the leaders we\u2019ve seen in our leadership programs<\/a> profoundly need more compassion for themselves,\u201d McKenna says. \u201cThey\u2019ve gone through a lot and they\u2019re beating themselves up about their missteps. But imperfections are something to notice and care for.\u201c<\/p>\n

The key, McKenna says, is the ability to tease apart the small truths in what you\u2019re telling yourself from \u201cthe big lie.\u201d Perhaps you\u2019re upset that your presentation didn\u2019t go as planned; That didn\u2019t go as well as I hoped <\/em>is true. But I\u2019ve lost all credibility with senior management<\/em> likely isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe small truth is almost always something you can deal with, learn from, and grow through. But the big lie can be paralyzing and costs a tremendous amount of energy.\u201d Leaders who focus on the big lies instead of the small truths are too hard on themselves. By not showing themselves compassion for their mistakes, they miss a chance to learn from their experiences and try again.<\/p>\n