Compassionate Leadership starts with how we treat ourselves

Compassionate leadership is often talked about as a “nice to have” — but research shows it improves engagement, retention, wellbeing and productivity. After attending a workshop on Compassionate Leadership with University of Huddersfield, I found myself reflecting on why some leaders naturally lead with empathy and humanity, while others struggle with it. And I think a lot of it comes down to self-compassion. Because when leaders are constantly operating under pressure, criticism and unrealistic expectations themselves, compassion can begin to feel like weakness rather than strength.