Organisational cultures are famously hard to change because they are made up of daily acts of individual leaders at all levels. As a senior leader you can model inclusion and compassionate leadership in your interactions, allowing people to see their own behaviours in that frame, contributing to a compassionate and inclusive culture. This in turn can create psychological safety for people to bring all their skills, working collaboratively and speaking up when things aren’t right without fear.
The NHS Constitution is a foundation document for creating the diverse, inclusive and compassionate organisations and systems we all hope to work in. It details our rights and responsibilities as staff and patients and underpins this theme of compassion in particular.
Compassionate and inclusive leadership builds connections across boundaries, ensuring that the voices of all are heard in the process of delivering and improving care.
Creating a compassionate and inclusive culture is a key element of the NHS People Promise – which articulates the values of a positive, compassionate and inclusive culture.
Leading compassionately for yourself and others has two strands:
- Recognising your own behaviours and motivations, maintaining your well-being, and pacing yourself while delivering in a sustainable way.
- Modelling compassionate and inclusive leadership and holding others to account for doing the same across the organisation with resources available to the right.
