Cultivating Compassionate Leadership

4 actions for every clinical leader to help create cultures of higher wellbeing and better quality care

Dr Andy Knox MBE, GP, Non Executive Director (Medical – Primary Care), NHS Clinical Leaders Network, Associate Medical Director, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria

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As clinical leaders, our actions and attitudes profoundly impact the well-being of our teams and the quality of care we provide to our patients.

Our work matters. And how we show up to work matters.

So it’s important that we bring the best version of ourselves to every day, at every shift.

But this can be hard.

In a profession with increasing amounts of seen and unseen pressures, it can be easy to arrive at burn-out, or to suffer compassion fatigue. But if we’re going to bring that best version of ourselves to work, we need to recognise that you can’t give your best on an empty tank.

We need to recognise that self-care, isn’t selfish; but about giving us the platform to be fully present in every patient and team interaction.

And we need to allow ourselves to accept care and help when we need it.

All of this is about creating a psychologically safe culture, where everyone recognises their importance, and has the confidence to speak up when things are wrong.

But how do we make that happen?

Well, for me, it’s about developing quality relationships in our teams. We recognise that we come to work as human beings. We therefore acknowledge how important that first interaction at the beginning of the day can be. It’s about taking the time (even if it’s a very short time) to check in, and take a quick temperature check with each member of the team, every day.

It helps everyone to buy into our team goals, while creating agency and accountability.

One of the most important roles of a clinical leader is to create cultures of higher wellbeing and better quality care.

And for me, there are four actions that every clinical leader needs to take to help make this happen:

1            Be Brave:

It takes courage to set a new direction, and it’s not easy to change a culture – especially in situations that may have had an element of toxicity present. It involves challenging the status quo, advocating for change, and establishing new ways of working, thinking and interacting to prevent negativity creeping back in. By empowering our teams to thrive and deliver exceptional care, we lead the way towards a healthier working culture.

2            Be Curious:

We foster connection and understanding  in our teams by demonstrating genuine interest in their work, their lives, and the challenges they’re facing.. As clinical leaders, we should take the time to listen, learn, and appreciate their perspectives and experiences. By being genuinely, and overtly curious, we can create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

3            Be Kind:

Kindness is the cornerstone of compassionate leadership. As clinical leaders, this means demonstrating empathy, compassion, and respect in every interaction we have. Whether it’s simply listening with an open heart, or working together practically on an operational issue, demonstrating and modelling kindness in our work sets the tone for better collaboration, and better patient outcomes.

4            Be Deliberately Inclusive:

Fostering a sense of belonging and unity within our teams is essential for meeting our shared challenges head-on. Transformative clinical leaders work hard to ensure that all team members feel valued and included, whatever their personal circumstances, discipline or level of seniority. But this approach needs deliberate efforts to create opportunities for collaboration, recognising the value in the team’s diversity. Especially in the course of turning a clique-ridden environment into a safer, more collaborative space; it’s important to overtly, and pro-actively include everyone’s input in experience on a level playing field. It goes beyond soundbites, platitudes and aspiration, into constant action. This is what I mean by being deliberately inclusive.

By embodying these principles in our leadership approach, we create environments where positivity thrives, teams flourish, and patients receive the highest quality of care.

And this is a big part of what I believe in the NHS Clinical Leaders Network as a hub of positivity in clinical leadership. The CLN brings people together who are committed to nurturing compassionate leadership and making a positive difference in the lives of those we serve.

We all have it within ourselves to be beacons of positive change built on kindness.

That’s what compassionate leadership looks like to me.