Actions, style and practices: how leaders ensure compassionate care delivery

Abstract

Demands for more patient-centred care necessitate that leadership creates the conditions for more compassionate care that is sustainable even in periods of acute crisis. We draw on a growing body of empirical research in health services, management and medicine to highlight how the combination of interpersonal acts, leadership style and organisational structures underpins leading with compassion. We further detail how this benefits care provider well-being and patient outcomes through fostering integrative thinking and prosocial motivation. We conclude with implications for practice.