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Cited by 203Organizational Leadership and Management StrategiesLeadership and Management in OrganizationsNursing education and management

Developing compassionate leadership in health care: an integrative review

Open access
de Zulueta, Paquita·2015·Journal of Healthcare Leadership
DOI 10.2147/jhl.s93724PMC PMC5741000
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Abstract

Compassionate health care is universally valued as a social and moral good to be upheld and sustained. Leadership is considered pivotal for enabling the development and preservation of compassionate health care organizations. Strategies for developing compassionate health care leadership in the complex, fast-moving world of today will require a paradigm shift from the prevalent dehumanizing model of the organization as machine to one of the organizations as a living complex adaptive system. It will also require the abandonment of individualistic, heroic models of leadership to one of shared, distributive, and adaptive leadership. "Command and control" leadership, accompanied by stifling regulation, rigid prescriptions, coercive punishments, and/or extrinsic rewards, infuses fear into the system with consequent disempowerment and disunity within the workforce, and the attrition of innovation and compassion. It must be eschewed. Instead, leadership should be developed throughout the organization with collective holistic learning strategies combined with high levels of staff support and engagement. Culture and leadership are interdependent and synergistic; their codevelopment needs to be grounded in a sophisticated, scientifically based account of human nature held within a coherent philosophical framework reflected by modern organizational and leadership theories. Developing leadership for compassionate care requires acknowledging and making provision for the difficulties and challenges of working in an anxiety-laden context. This means providing appropriate training and well-being programs, sustaining high levels of trust and mutually supportive interpersonal connections, and fostering the sharing of knowledge, skills, and workload across silos. It requires enabling people to experiment without fear of reprisal, to reflect on their work, and to view errors as opportunities for learning and improvement. Tasks and relational care need to be integrated into a coherent unity, creating space for real dialog between patients, clinicians, and managers, so that together they can cocreate ways to flourish in the context of illness and dying.

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  • The role of benevolent leadership, coaching with compassion, and integrating coaching, compassion, and leadership is crucial for developing capable leaders.

    “Additionally, the role of benevolent leadership, coaching with compassion, and integrating coaching, compassion, and leadership is discussed as crucial for developing capable leaders(Boyatzis et al. 2006; de Zulueta 2016; Karakas and Sarigollu 2013).”

    From Whither compassionate leadership? A systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as de Zulueta 2016

    The sections on implications for leadership development and resilience building recommend coaching skills and say coaching can be tailored for compassionate leadership. The conclusion also calls for leaders with altruistic, servant-leadership qualities. The paper makes these points about developing compassionate leadership in health care; it does not establish the broader claim about developing capable leaders generally. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • There is a need for education and training in leadership skills, particularly in compassionate leadership, including training in empathy, self-compassion, coaching, and emotional resilience.

    “Moreover, the implications provided in these studies in Table 8 also highlight the need for education and training in leadership skills, particularly in compassionate leadership. This includes training in empathy, self-compassion, coaching, and emotional resilience(Banker and Bhal 2018; de Zulueta 2016; Hougaard et al. 2020; König et al. 2020; Shuck et al. 2019; Tzortzaki 2019).”

    From Whither compassionate leadership? A systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as de Zulueta 2016

  • It is important to create a collective leadership culture of compassion and collaboration, where all those working in an organization, including those who do not consider themselves as leaders, are equipped with leadership skills and contribute to a culture of compassion.

    “In addition, these studies emphasize the importance of creating a collective leadership culture of compassion and collaboration, where all those working in an organization, including those who do not consider themselves as leaders, are equipped with leadership skills and contribute to a culture of compassion (de Zulueta 2016).”

    From Whither compassionate leadership? A systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as de Zulueta 2016

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. [7]Boorman Review NHS Health and Well-Being Review: Final Report London Department of Health 2009
  2. [9]Paparella G Understanding Staff Wellbeing, its Impact on Patient Experience and Healthcare Quality Oxford Picker Institute Europe Available from: http://www.pickereurope.org Accessed July 30, 2015
  3. [31]Gilbert P Social mentalities: a biopsychosocial and evolutionary reflection on social relationships Baldwin M Interpersonal Cognition New York Guildford Press 2005
  4. [55]Nye JS The Powers to Lead – Hard, Soft and Smart New York Oxford University Press 2008
  5. [63]Autry JA The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance New York Three Rivers Press 2001
  6. [87]Seddon J Systems Thinking in the Public Sector Axminster Triarchy Press 2008
  7. [91]Hannah M Humanizing Healthcare: Patterns of Hope for Systems Under Strain Axminster Triarchy Press 2014

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Authors
de Zulueta, P.
Venue
Journal of Healthcare Leadership
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2015-12
Volume
8
Pages
1
ISSN
1179-3201 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2147/jhl.s93724
PMC
PMC5741000
OpenAlex
W2208418354
Cited by
203
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 16 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3
FWCI
2.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Healthcare Leadership (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Dove Medical Press (Taylor and Francis Group) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Organizational Leadership and Management Strategies
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Leadership and Management in Organizations
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Research and Theory › Nursing education and management
Keywords
compassionate leadership, complex adaptive systems, distributive leadership, command-and-control leadership, organizational culture, employee engagement, employee well-being, trust, error-based learning, shared leadership

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