Conference Theme
Introduction to our conference theme:
Increasingly, the visible political world of leadership seems to be producing populist leaders offering simple solutions based on the politics of blame and ‘othering’. This type of leadership, coupled with endless drives for efficiency and fuelled by the polarising ability of social media, seeps into our organisational lives, often leaving our values compromised and our colleagues neglected or feeling ostracised.
Into this increasingly de-humanised world, DLCC 2025 aims to open a debate on developing leaders who can rebalance and heal our fractured workplaces. We believe that organisations need to be cultivating leaders who can create sustainable and inclusive cultures, organisations that afford spaces for individuals to feel trusted, valued, supported, and cared for and where there is a strong sense of identity and belonging (Benevene, Buonomo and West, 2022; Cox, 2023). We contend that an emphasis on care, collaboration and compassion in leadership (West, 2021) is increasingly necessary to help address some of these shortfalls for the good of individuals, organisations and society.
Care and compassion in leadership are believed to be critical for survival and for the development of social harmony (Stajkovic and Stajkovic, 2024). For leaders this means developing practices of attentiveness; understanding; dialogue; empathy, responsiveness, caring relationships and helping (Atkins and Parker, 2012; Benevene, Buonomo and West, 2022; Stajkovic and Stajkovic, 2024). Caring and compassionate leaders are described as kind, supportive and inclusive (Cox, 2023); making time and space for ‘human moments’ in the organisation (Frost, 2003) which can assist individuals with their happiness and well-being (Benevene, et al 2022). Shuck, et al (2019) contend that compassionate leadership is an everyday practice with leader’s acts based on the virtues of integrity, empathy, accountability, authenticity, presence, and dignity (2019:538). Further, they contend that compassionate leadership can sit outside the traditional hierarchical leader-follower relationships and be enacted by anyone within an organisation. This is significant in the current environment where an awareness of mental health and well-being of individuals and leaders within organisations is increasing in prominence. Compassionate leadership can come at a cost. In enacting ‘human moments’ (Frost, 2003) and taking responsibility and action during times of crisis (Maak, Pless and Wohlgezogen, 2021) a leader’s own health and wellbeing can be impacted resulting in stress and burn-out (Mallon, 2022). Self-care or being able to observe self-compassion is therefore critical (Hargreaves, 2021).
Whilst care and compassion in leadership have been predominately explored in relation to the health and care sector (West, 2021), it has also been discussed in business (Hougaard, Carter and Hobson, 2020); education (Waddington, 2018; Harris and Jones, 2023); gender (Imhanrenialena et al, 2023); crisis situations such as post Covid (Cox, 2023) and as a political style of leadership (Van Wart, Macaulay and Haberstroh, 2022). Whilst definitions and components of what care and compassion in leadership consists of vary, Harris and Jones capture its essence modestly as “leadership is ultimately a human endeavour that cannot be exercised without a degree of humility and humanity (2023:186)”.
This perspective ultimately links care and compassion in leadership to the wider idea of the common good, extending caring for others beyond the organisation to community (Vaughan,2017) or as a way of cultivating a sustainability mindset (Jeanrenaud, Jeanrenaud, Mabey and Knights, 2018; Ritz and Rimanoczy, 2021) in relation to business practice. We can see that care and compassion in leadership affords great potential to make a difference, whether that be through these wider perspectives; through well-being (Wan, Pan, Peng and Meng, 2022); through employee engagement (Buonomo, Farnese, Vecina, Benevene, 2021) or through staff retention strategies (Shuck et al, 2019). However, the question arises as to whether it is possible to develop caring and compassion leaders and caring organisations? Is this a pragmatic agenda, or a romanticised hope? Can care and compassion in leadership be the key mode of leading in all organisations, or is it contextually dependent? Hence the current focus on health and education environments, as key contexts for testing its feasibility and worth.
From a leader development perspective, are care and compassion in leadership simply a list of behaviours that can be trained, or competencies to act as selection criteria? And if this is so, how can a leader intentionally become caring in their practice?
Theoretically, how does caring and compassionate leadership interact with similar theories and constructs of leadership, such as servant leadership (Greenleaf, 2002); ethical leadership (Ciulla, 2003); and responsible leadership (Maak and Pless, 2006; Kempster).
DLCC 2025 welcomes these and other questions about compassionate leadership, positioning it as an important phenomenon, and seeking to explore its transformative potential for leaders, organisations and individuals.
References
Atkins, P. W. B., and Parker, S. K. (2012). Understanding individual compassion in organizations: The role of appraisals and psychological flexibility. Acad. Manag. Rev. 37, 4. doi: 10.5465/amr.2010.0490.
Benevene, P., Buonomo, I. and West, M. (2022) Editorial: Compassion and compassionate leadership in the workplace. Frontiers in psychology, 13
Buonomo, Farnese, Vecina, Benevene, (2021). Other-Focused Approach to Teaching. The Effect of Ethical Leadership and Quiet Ego on Work Engagement and the Mediating Role of Compassion Satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 24 June 2021, Sec. Organizational Psychology, Volume 12 – 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.692116
Ciulla, J. B. (2003). The Ethics of Leadership. Wadsworth Thomson Learning, Belmont.CA.
Frost, P. J. (2003). Toxic Emotions at work: How compassionate Managers Handle pain and conflict. Harvard Business School Press.
Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant Leadership [25th Anniversary Edition]: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. Paulist Press, N.J.
Hargreaves, S. (2021). The compassionate leader’s playbook: How to lead with compassion and ensure your people thrive. Steven Hargreaves.
Imhanrenialena, B. O., Ebhotemhen, W., Chukwu, I. B., Obi-Anike, O. H., and Ekeoba, A. A. (2023). Addressing virtual work challenges through women’s innate compassionate managerial leadership behaviors: the case of Nigeria. Gender in management 38(6), 730-746
Jeanrenaud, S., Jeanrenaud, JP Mabey, C. and Knights, D. (2018). The Mindful-Promise: Leading With Integrity for a Sustainable Future. In Mabey, C. and Knights, D. Leadership Matters, Routledge: London. 17-33
Maak, T., and Pless, N. M. (2006). Responsible leadership in a stakeholder society – a relational perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 66(1), 99–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9047
Mallon, M. N. (2022). On authenticity, exhaustion, and finding a spark. Journal of Library Administration, 62(6), 832–839. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2022.2102383
Milner, V. (2017). Rekindling the flame of community through compassion – a call for leadership toward compassionate community. Aotearoa New Zealand social work, 20(3), 3-13
Ritz, A. A and Rimanoczy, I. (2021). Sustainable Compassionate Education Leadership in a Global Society. Sustainability Mindset and Transformative Leadership, p.225-240
Stajkovic, K. and Stajkovic, A. D. (2024). Ethics of Care Leadership, Racial Inclusion, and Economic Health in the Cities: Is There a Female Leadership Advantage? Journal of Business Ethics, 189(4), 699–721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05564-0
Wan, J., Pan, Peng, K., and Meng, Y. (2022). The Impact of Emotional Leadership on Subordinates’ Job Performance: Mediation of Positive Emotions and Moderation of Susceptibility to Positive Emotions. Frontiers in Psychology, 24 June 2022, Sec. Organizational Psychology, Volume 13 – 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.917287
West, M. A. (2021). Compassionate Leadership: Sustaining Wisdom, Humanity and Presence in Health and Social Care. The Swirling Leaf Press, UK.
DLCC 15th “Developing Leadership Capacity Conference” 2025 Lancaster University