RESEARCH STUDIES
There is excellent research coming out of multiple academic disciplines that shed light on the significance and efficacy of compassionate leadership. We regularly update this section with insightful, evidence-based research whether it is being performed from the point of view of neuroscience, mindfulness, or organizational business practices. If there are additional studies that you think would be of benefit to the community, please email us.
Compassionate Leadership: Essential for the Future of Tropical Medicine and Global Health
by Evan Harrel, Laura Berland, Julie Jacobson, and David Addiss, MD, MPH
In American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2021
An effective global health system is central to addressing some of the most serious challenges the world faces today. In this article from the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Center for Compassionate Leadership co-founders Laura Berland and Evan Harrel, along with David Addiss and Julie Jacobson, offer compassionate leadership as key to ensuring global health equity and deconstructing colonialist structures in global health.
A compassion narrative for the sustainable development goals: conscious and connected action
by Liz Grant, Corinne Reid, Heather Buesseler, David Addiss
The Lancet, July 2, 2022
In 2015, all UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While we are halfway between 2015 and 2030, we are far short of halfway to achieving the goals. Writing in The Lancet, CFCL Advisory Board members Liz Grant and David Addiss, our compassionate colleague Heather Buesseler, and Corinne Reid offer a framework for compassion-in-action to radically reposition values as the drivers of the Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals.
Spiritual Themes and Challenges in Global Health
by David Addiss, MD, MPH
in Journal of Medical Humanities Volume 39, pages 337–348 (2018)
This important article, published in the Journal of Medical Humanities, is a foundational piece for anyone seeking to strengthen compassionate leadership in the field of global health. David Addiss addresses the paradoxical issue and causes of spirituality being rarely addressed in medicine, specifically in global health.
By using the definition of spirituality as “that aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred,” this paper deepens our understanding of purpose, awareness, and compassion.
Understanding the four challenges that Addiss has identified: compassion at a distance; dichotomous thinking; conspiracy of silence; and compulsion to save the world, allows one to develop practices to overcome these challenges and offer a more compassionate way of being in global health.
Curricula for empathy and compassion training in medical education: A systematic review
by Sundip Patel, Alexis Pelletier-Bui, Stephanie Smith, Michael B. Roberts, Hope Kilgannon, Stephen Trzeciak, and Brian W. Roberts
in PLoS One, Aug. 22, 2019
"Empathy and compassion are vital components of health care quality; however, physicians frequently miss opportunities for empathy and compassion in patient care. Despite evidence that empathy and compassion training can be effective, the specific behaviors that should be taught remain unclear." Through an extensive review of the literature, the authors offer five specific behaviors to be targeted in compassion and empathy training.
Leading in Times of Trauma
by Jane E. Dutton, Peter J. Frost, Monica C. Worline, Jacoba M. Lilius, and Jason M. Kanov
in Harvard Business Review, January 2002
In the words of this Harvard Business Review classic, “There is always grief somewhere in the room... You can't eliminate such suffering, nor can you ask people to check their emotions at the door. But you can use your leadership to begin the healing process.” After the events of the last three years, the wisdom of this article is as important as ever. Read this timeless article from the foundational thought leaders of compassionate leadership to “nourish the kind of humanity that can make people – and organizations – great.”
Confronting Health Worker Burnout and Well-Being
by US Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A.
in The New England Journal of Medicine, August 18, 2022
“Burnout manifests in individuals, but it’s fundamentally rooted in systems.... Burnout is not only about long hours. It’s about the fundamental disconnect between health workers and the mission to serve that motivates them....The time for incremental change has passed. We need bold, fundamental change that gets at the roots of the burnout crisis.” Read about the five elements of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's plan to address this crisis in healthcare.
Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership
by Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis
in Harvard Business Review, Oct. 2008
Actions that we take – exhibiting empathy and attuning ourselves to another’s moods – affect not only our own brains, but those of the other as well. By understanding what goes on in our brains and the brains of those to whom we are connected, compassionate leaders are able to respond in productive, helpful ways in all situations.
Leading with compassion: The key to changing the organizational culture and achieving success
by Hershey H. Friedman and Miriam Gerstein
in Psychosociological Issues in Human Resource Management (Vol. 5, Issue 1)
The challenges articulated in this 2017 article have only been compounded by the challenges of the pandemic. The call for compassionate leadership by authors Hershey Friedman and Miriam Gerstein is more important now than ever. “It is important for organizations to practice compassion, empathy, and caring and make them core values. This means that organizations that want to thrive must be run by compassionate leaders. A culture of compassion and caring must permeate the entire organization.”
Mind full of kindness: self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence as vehicles for compassion
by Jacob T. Miller & Paul Verhaeghen
in BMC Psychology, July 29, 2022
Compassionate leadership is built on a foundation of awareness of oneself, of others, and of the environment where leaders find themselves. This recent article, “Mind full of kindness: self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence as vehicles for compassion,” in BMC Psychology explores the relationship between mindfulness and compassion, showing clearly some of the ways through which mindfulness strengthens different elements of compassion.
Your Presence Is Requested: Mindfulness Infusion in Workplace Interactions and Relationships
by Christopher S. Reina, Glen E. Kreiner, Alexandra Rheinhardt, Christine Anna Mihelcic
in Organization Science, April 2022
"In this study, we take a qualitative, grounded theory approach wherein we put forth and unpack a model of interpersonal mindfulness infusion: the process whereby individuals instill their mindfulness into their workplace interactions and relationships. We further distinguish between formal and informal and self- and other-focused mindfulness practices. We show how these practices underlie the mindfulness infusion process and can enhance workplace interactions and relationships. In doing so, we contribute to the organizational literature on mindfulness and positive relationships at work."
Verbal interaction in a social dilemma
by Zoë Adams, Agata Ludwiczak, Devyani Sharma, Magda Osman
in Rationality and Society, May 25, 2022
What drives success in team coordination? Can our style of communication make a difference? The new approach utilized in this research shows clearly that consensus-building language leads to higher levels of improvement in cooperation. Compassionate leaders recognize that we are all in our work together, and communicate that connection.
A synergistic mindsets intervention protects adolescents from stress
by David S. Yeager, Christopher J. Bryan, James J. Gross, Jared S. Murray, Danielle Krettek Cobb, Pedro H. F. Santos, Hannah Gravelding, Meghann Johnson & Jeremy P. Jamieson
New, important research: One brief, self-administered intervention makes significant differences in outcomes for vulnerable adolescents. This powerful study is likely only the beginning of discovering the value of combining straightforward interventions based on growth mindset and stress-can-be-enhancing mindset. When studied with adolescents, the results showed improved psychological well-being, academic success, and anxiety symptoms, as well as physical changes with lower stress hormone and cardiovascular reactivity levels. This study is quite powerful on its own, but it will undoubtedly lead to further studies testing the benefits in other age groups and with additional potential benefits.
Compassion practice as an antidote for compassion fatigue in the era of COVID-19
by Paige G. Bentley
Counselors need empathy to be effective, yet the toll of empathic resonance can be steep. Compassion practices provide a potent path to maintaining both strong connections to those who suffer personal well-being.
The costs of compassion fatigue are consequential: burnout, negative client outcomes, and premature departure from the field. This has only been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read this valuable article with significant resources to address this extremely timely problem.
The Value of Positive Emotions
by Barbara Frederickson
The field of positive psychology has grown significantly since this important early article by Barbara Frederickson. Compassionate leaders understand the value of positive emotions, and create environments that are beneficial for positive visioning and positive reinforcement. For such leaders, “creating chains of events that carry positive meaning for others, positive emotions can trigger upward spirals that transform communities into more cohesive, moral and harmonious social organizations.”
Ways of Knowing Compassion: How Do We Come to Know, Understand, and Measure Compassion When We See It?
by Jennifer S. Mascaro, Marianne P. Florian, Marcia J. Ash, Patricia K. Palmer, Tyralynn Frazier, Paul Condon and Charles Raison
Leaders who are serious about bringing compassion want to know the important questions raised by this paper: How do we know compassion? Can we measure it, and if so, how?
These are important questions, but they are not simple. In this thoughtful, comprehensive paper, Dr. Mascaro and her colleagues create a careful framework for categorizing compassion, something which by its nature is quite difficult to categorize. By bringing a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of compassion, they offer readers an opportunity to both deepen and broaden their understanding of the topic.
For those interested in finding ways to measure compassion in their own setting, this article will be an important starting point for their journey.
All in a day's work: Boundaries and micro role transitions
by Blake Ashforth, Glenn Kreiner, and Mel Fugate
How do you navigate the boundaries between the different roles in your life? This paper, written in 2000, provides a clear analytical framework for analyzing the way we move between different roles in our lives. As these boundaries have undergone a seismic shift during the pandemic, and will be reshaped again over the coming years as people return to the office, the topic remains timely.
This article is for leaders who want to be intentional in shaping the permeability of their team’s work environments.
What’s Love Got to Do With It? A Study of the Culture of Companionate Love and Employee and Client Outcomes in a Long-Term Care Setting.
by Sigal G. Barsade and Olivia A. O'Neill
Can leaders build cultures where co-workers care about each other and treat each other with respect and concern? They should definitely seek to do so. A culture of "companionate love" leads to improved employee satisfaction and better teamwork while reducing absenteeism and emotional exhaustion. It leads to improved medical outcomes and improved moods for clients and can lead to improved connections to families of clients as well.
It is brave to raise the topic of love in organizations, and we salute the authors for doing so in a way that raises the potential for further valuable discussions around the topic.
Transcending the Self: Awe, Elevation, and Inspiration
by Michelle Shiota, Todd M. Thrash, Alexander F. Danvers, and John T. Dombrowski
Compassionate leadership requires an awareness of the feelings of others as well as the ability to move beyond personal hierarchies of judgment. In this chapter from the Handbook of Positive Emotions, the authors explore research showing the power of the emotions of awe and elevation and the emotional state of inspiration to take us beyond thoughts and feelings centered on our self.
The skills of a compassionate leader can be learned and practiced, and recognizing the value of awe can be an easy step for leaders to grow their capacity for compassion.
Emotional acknowledgment: How verbalizing others’ emotions fosters interpersonal trust
by Alisa Yu, Justin M. Berg, and Julian J. Zlatev
What should you do when a co-worker appears emotionally moved, either upset or excited? Taking a novel approach using Costly Signaling Theory, the authors explore how emotionally moved individuals view acknowledgement (or the lack thereof) of their emotions by a co-worker. The findings are a valuable affirmation of the impact of compassionate leadership practices.
The research finds that individuals who acknowledge the emotions of others are viewed as being more trustworthy than those who do not acknowledge them. The increase in trust is more powerful when the emotion being acknowledged is negative than it is when the emotion is positive. Even when positive emotions are inaccurately acknowledged as negative, the positive impact on trust is maintained (although inaccurate acknowledgement doesn’t benefit trust the other way around.)
Intuitively, compassionate leaders understand the humane benefits of their actions. This research helps unpack some of the relational processes causing those benefits.
Compassion: An Evolutionary Analysis and Empirical Review
by Jennifer L. Goetz, Dacher Keltner, and Emiliana Simon-Thomas
Science tells us so much about compassion: It is innate. It is different from empathy. Our conscious choices impact our capacity to offer compassion. Read about this and much, much more in this comprehensive review of the science of compassion.
This forty-three page document references the source documents and provides insightful discussion and description of everything that you would want to know about the science of compassion as it was known at the time of this document’s publication.
The Compassion Motivation and Action Scales: a self-report measure of compassionate and self-compassionate behaviours
by Stanley R. Steindl, Cassandra L. Tellegen, Ania Filus, Emma Seppälä, James R. Doty & James N. Kirby
Compassion, as the Center for Compassionate Leadership defines it, consists of four steps. The fourth step, action, is critical, as it differentiates compassion from empathy and can be a powerful protection from empathic distress and burnout.
Using a traditional model of motivation and action, the authors create two scales to measure motivation and action as they act in compassion and self-compassion. This article contributes to the literature in important ways as it should help for assessment of motivation and action.
The article identifies three factors that contribute to or inhibit compassion: intention, distress tolerance and action.
Although the article is behind the Australian Psychologist paywall, the questionnaire itself is available for review under the “supplemental” tab.
Fears of compassion: Development of three self-report measures
by Paul Gilbert, Kirsten McEwan, Marcela Matos
and Amanda Rivis
Although compassion has many powerful benefits, this article explores the fears that can limit the ability to practice compassion. The study develops measures of fear of: compassion for others, compassion from others, and self-compassion.
Understanding the origins of an individual’s resistance to the practice of compassion can help determine the path beyond those resistances, and this paper offers significant contributions toward these goals.
Communities of Practice: The Organizational Frontier
by Etienne C. Wenger and William M. Snyder
In 2000, authors Etienne Wenger and William Snyder asked, "If communities of practice are so effective, why aren’t they more prevalent?" Over twenty years later, the question remains. Forward thinking leaders and organizations should resist the urge to control the creation of community knowledge, allowing creativity to flourish and thrive.
Implicit Association Test
by Project Implicit
Do you have thoughts and biases outside of your conscious awareness and control? I think we all know that the answer to that question is yes. Wouldn’t you like to know more about your unconscious biases and how to respond to them? Explore these questions by taking a test - or many tests; there are over fifteen - designed to measure attitudes and feelings you may be unaware of.
The Problem of Othering: Towards Inclusiveness and Belonging
by john a. powell and Stephen Menendian
in Othering & Belonging, Issue 1, Summer 2016
“(V)irtually every global, national, and regional conflict is wrapped within or organized around one or more dimension of group-based difference.” So begins the seminal article on othering, published before (and likely contributing to) Merriam-Webster’s November 2017 recognition of “other” as a verb.
The authors define othering as a “set of dynamics, processes, and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality across any of the full range of human differences based on group identities.” They explore the causes of othering and the conditions that facilitate it. They go deeper to understand how exclusionary boundaries get created and become institutionalized in society. Finally they offer solutions for overcoming othering. The future course of history will be shaped by how we embrace these ideas.
Actions, Style and Practices: How Leaders Ensure Compassionate Care Delivery
by Timothy J. Vogus and Laura E. McClelland
in BMJ Leader
Compassion is at the core of the healthcare industry, so it is not surprising that healthcare has been the leading industry to recognize the importance of compassion for their staff, their organizations, and for the entire industry.
”Actions, Style and Practices” brings together the most important research of the last fifteen years to illuminate clearly how leaders - from the top of organizations to unit directors - can create the conditions that allow compassionate care to thrive.
This article holds clear implications for the healthcare industry in the current COVID-19 crisis, but the greatest value from the article are its evergreen findings of how leaders can ensure compassionate care can be delivered in any environment.
Compassion Fears, Blocks and Resistances: An Evolutionary Investigation
by Paul Gilbert and Jennifer Mascaro
In The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science
There are numerous articles teaching how to cultivate compassion through positive practices. This paper explores the evolutionary roots to the inhibitors of compassion, knowledge of which will be invaluable for anyone trying to develop or teach compassionate leadership.
The six major proximate inhibitors of compassion are shame, power and status, threats, motivational conflicts, tribalism and the enjoyment of suffering. Understanding the evolutionary roots of these can support the effectiveness of leaders in pursuing affiliative/altruistic strategies that promote cooperation and compassion.
Empathy and Compassion
by Tania Singer and Olga M. Klimecki
in Current Biology, 22 September 2014
What is the difference between empathy and compassion? In addition to the definitional difference — compassion includes an empathic response to another’s suffering combined with a desire to act in order to help relieve that suffering — modern neuroscience has discovered that empathy and compassion generate distinct neurological responses in different parts of the brain.
While empathy for the suffering of others triggers activity in the area of the brain associated with pain responses, compassion generates activity in the brain region associated with regulating emotions and prosocial reward response.
Strategies for Successful Organizational Downsizing
by Kim Cameron
In Human Resource Management, Vol 33, Issue 2, Summer 1994
Downsizing can damage organizations in numerous ways, such as eroding trust, undermining shared values, and increasing negative employee behaviors. Yet some companies emerge after difficult economic times with greater resilience than others. Why is that?
Kim Cameron goes deep into the data to understand the linkage between organizational actions and performance and offers thirty best practices to engage in order to minimize the negative impact of downsizing.
The Amplifying and Buffering Effects of Virtuousness in Downsized Organizations
by David S. Bright, Kim S. Cameron, and Arran Caza
In Journal of Business Ethics, 2006
Virtuousness in organizations highlights the highest and best of the human condition, by going behind a simple value of “do no harm.” Virtuousness in organizations makes the organization more effective by amplifying positive behaviors and by buffering the negative impact of downsizing or other similarly difficult decisions.
Vulnerability and Trust in Leader-Follower Relationships
by Ann-Marie Nienaber, Marcel Hofeditz, and Philipp D. Romeike
In Personnel Review, Volume 44, Issue 4
Center for Compassionate Leadership research shows that actual vulnerability is particularly challenging for leaders.
Why are vulnerability and trust so hard? This technical paper distinguishes between trusting beliefs (the willingness to be vulnerable) and trusting behavior (actual vulnerability), and in doing so, contributes to the understanding of vulnerability.
Click here to read the research.
Care and Compassion Through an Organizational Lens: Opening Up New Possibilities
by Sara L. Rynes, Jean M. Bartunek, Jane E. Dutton, and Joshua D. Margolis
in Academy of Management Review, Vol. 37, No. 4
This paper introduces the AMR Special Topic Forum issue on “Understanding and Creating Caring and Compassionate Organizations.” As such, it provides a comprehensive overview to the range of research in the field of compassion research.
Organizational resilience: Towards a theory and research agenda
by Timothy J. Vogus and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe
Why are some organizations and institutions capable of maintaining function and structure in the face of environmental jolts and other large disruptions? Why do some organizations crumble in the face of high levels of ongoing strain while others thrive and grow more resourceful and poised to tackle future challenges?
This paper proposes answers to these questions and more, and offers compassionate leaders a guide to how they can create organizations that emerge from challenging circumstances stronger than ever.
Brain, Body & Benefits: The Science of Mindfulness
by Daniel J. Siegel, MD
Scientific research has clearly established that mindfulness practices such as yoga, tai chi, qigong, centering prayer, chanting, and mindfulness meditation improve our physical and emotional health as well as our overall quality of life. In this article, Dan Siegel, MD, surveys the scientific research showing the benefits of mindfulness and explains the central element - which he calls "Mindsight" - that makes mindfulness so beneficial.
The Contours and Consequences of Compassion at Work
Jacoba M. Lilius, Monica C. Worline, Sally Maitlis, Jason Kanov, Jane E. Dutton, and Peter Frost
in Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 29 (2008)
Two studies are reported in this paper, which together describe the scope and variance of compassion in the workplace and the impact of compassionate practices on those engaged, whether they be recipients of compassion, deliverers of compassion, or witnesses to compassion.
This paper continued to advance the field of understanding compassion in organizations, building on the earlier work of co-authors Dutton, Frost, and Worline, and starts to map out the scope of compassion at work and the beneficial results.
Can 40 Seconds of Compassion Reduce Patient Anxiety?
by Linda A. Fogarty, Barbara Curbow, John R Wingard, Kelly A. Mcdonnell, Mark R. Somerfield
in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 37, Issue 17, June 10, 2019
While many doctors report they don’t have time to be compassionate, this research shows how quickly a small act of compassion can impact another. A single, 40-second compassionate communication from physician to patient resulted in a significant difference in the level of the patient’s anxiety. This practice can be used in all settings, not just medical ones.
Click here to read the research.
Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review
By Timothy A. Judge, Joyce E. Bono, Remus Ilies, and Megan W. Gerhardt
in Journal of Applied Psychology, 2002, Vol. 87
Across seventy-three studies, the traits that led to an increase in power were very consistent. It didn’t matter whether it was college students, military officers, medical staff, or manufacturing employees. The five social tendencies that lead to success in leadership are all positive: openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, calmness (or non-neuroticism), and positive and outgoing.
Sympathy, empathy, and compassion: A grounded theory study of palliative care patients’ understandings, experiences, and preferences
by Shane Sinclair, Kate Beamer, Thomas F Hack, Susan McClement, Shelley Raffin Bouchal, Harvey M Chochinov, and Neil A. Hagen in Palliative Medicine, 2017, Vol 31(5)
Advanced cancer patients value compassion and empathy, but not sympathy. It is important to know the difference. In this paper, the authors use both traditional etymology as well as patients’ understanding of these three emotional approaches to lead to valuable conclusions of the most helpful ways to interact with patients.
Self-Compassion Increases Self-Improvement Motivation
by Juliana G. Breines and Serena Chen
in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, May, 2012
One of the myths of self-compassion is that it will make you complacent. This research establishes just the opposite. Self-compassion increases your motivation toward self-improvement, toward working harder, and toward making amends.
Click here to read the research.
I Feel What You Feel if You Are Similar to Me
by Andrea Serino, Giulia Giovagnoli, Elisabetta Làdavas
in PLoS ONE, January 2009 4(3):e4930
The more we perceive someone as being similar to ourselves, the more empathy we have for them. The authors establish this through a inventively designed study using an electrical current below the threshold where you would normally feel it.
Loving-Kindness Meditation Increases Social Connectedness
by Cendri A. Hutcherson, Emma M. Seppala, and James J. Gross
“As a species whose survival depends on the ability to build mutually beneficial relationships with others, human beings have a deep-seated need to feel connected, to be trusted and loved, and to trust and love in return.” Yet, many of our behaviors in the world today are leaving people with increased distrust and alienation.
Can we find a way to build our constructive feelings of connection and trust? This research gives us an unequivocal, beautiful yes! “Even just a few minutes of loving-kindness meditation increased feelings of social connection and positivity toward others on both explicit and implicit levels.”
Click here to read the research.
Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial
by Khoa D. Le Nguyen, Jue Lin, Sara B. Algoe, Mary M. Brantley, Sumi L.Kim, Jeffrey Brantley, Sharon Salzberg, and Barbara L. Fredrickson
In a randomized control trial of 142 midlife adults, telomere length decreased significantly in the control group and a group assigned to practice mindfulness meditation, but not in a group assigned to practice loving-kindness (metta) meditation. There was also significantly less telomere length attrition in the loving-kindness meditation group than the control group.
This study is the first to disentangle the effects of the meditation practices on telomere length and suggests that loving-kindness meditation may buffer telomere attrition, which is associated with the aging process.
Empathy, Connectedness And Organization
by Kathryn Pavlovich and Keiko Krahnke
What is the role of empathy in connectedness organizing? That is the central question of this fascinating paper. The authors’ stated purpose is “to contribute to processes that build more ethical and vibrant organizational contexts that encourage the development, enlightenment and transcendence of the human spirit.” And, contribute, they have. This is an elegant, rich paper worthy of perusal by anyone interested in creating more compassionate organizations.
Would you like to see more ethical and vibrant organizational contexts? Would you like to see organizations encourage the development, enlightenment, and transcendence of the human spirit? If so, then read the research.
Meditation buffers medical student compassion from the deleterious effects of depression.
by Jennifer Mascaro, Sean Kelley, Alana Darcher, Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Carol Worthman, Andrew Miller, and Charles Raison
Medical school students receiving a compassion training intervention reported increased compassion, and decreased loneliness and depression. The significant academic and psychological stresses of medical school are well known. This study offers optimism that a simple intervention can help alleviate those stresses and help medical students exhibit compassionate responses to their patients.
Differences in Physicians’ Verbal and Nonverbal Communication With Black and White Patients at the End of Life
by Andrea M. Elliott, MD, Stewart C. Alexander, PhD, Craig A. Mescher, MD, Deepika Mohan, MD, MPH, and Amber E. Barnato, MD, MPH, MS
Compassion can be communicated in both verbal and non-verbal ways. In this study, hospital-based physicians exhibit significantly fewer positive, rapport-building, non-verbal cues with black patients.
Psychological Mechanisms Driving Stress Resilience in Mindfulness Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Brian Chin, Emily K. Lindsay, Carol M. Greco, Kirk Warren Brown, Joshua M. Smyth, Aidan G. C. Wright, and J. David Creswell
in Health Psychology, Volume 28, Issue 8, August, 2019.
All mindfulness is not alike. This study establishes that an attitude of acceptance and equanimity while practicing awareness of one’s present experience significantly reduces stress more than a mindful practice of awareness alone. For effectiveness sake, it is important to hold one’s awareness of experiences in non-judgmental awareness.
Is compassion for others stress buffering? Consequences of compassion and social support for physiological reactivity to stress
by Brandon J. Cosley, Shannon K. McCoy, Laura R. Saslow, Elissa S. Epel
In Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 46, Issue 5, September 2010, Pages 816-823
This study shows that having compassion for others may actually protect us from stress. More compassionate study participants had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as lower heart rates and blood pressure, while performing stressful tasks. The explanation for the results is that more compassionate individuals are more open to support from others which creates greater resilience when stressed.
Elevation Leads to Altruistic Behavior
By Simone Schnall, Jean Roper, and Daniel M.T. Fessler
Compassion is contagious! Witnessing another person perform a good deed makes us feel good, often including a feeling described in the research literature as a “warm, fuzzy feeling in our chest,” and often called “elevation.” When someone experiences elevation, it increases the likelihood that they will in turn behave altruistically. This is definitely a contagion the world could use a whole lot more of, so get out there and spread the compassion widely.
To Lead Is to Love: An Exploration into the Role of Love in Leadership
By Joseph A. Ricciardi
Studies linking leadership and love are rare. The author of this study concludes unequivocally, “…leaders who demonstrate the characteristics of love are perceived as having a higher degree of leadership than those who do not demonstrate the characteristics of love.” Let’s become better leaders by loving more fully.
Click here to read the research.
Compassion Revealed
By Jacoba M. Lilius, Jason Kanov, Jane E. Dutton, Monica C. Worline, and Sally Maitlis
This white paper is an excellent summary by Penelope Mallinckrodt of the authors’ chapter, “Compassion Revealed: What We Know About Compassion at Work (and Where We Need to Know More)” published in the Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship.
Do Ethical, Authentic, and Servant Leadership Explain Variance Above and Beyond Transformational Leadership? A Meta-Analysis
by Julia E. Hoch, William H. Bommer, James H. Dulebohn, and Dongyuan Wu
Servant leadership shows strong promise as a leadership approach that can create positive incremental value above and beyond the value created by transformational leadership. Through this meta-analysis of three different studied styles of leadership, the authors establish the benefit of a servant leadership approach.
Measures of Community Well-Being: A Template
by Tyler J. VanderWeele
in International Journal of Community Well-Being Volume 2, Pages 253–275 (2019)
Significant progress has been made to develop measures of individual well-being, and to use these measures to promote the individual flourishing. This article extends the framework of well-being to apply to nations, cities, neighborhoods, families, workplaces, schools, and religious communities. Explore how to approach well-being at any of these levels here.
Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classification
by Joy Buolamwini and Timnit Gebru
In Proceedings of Machine Learning Research 81:1–15, 2018
Technology has the potential to transcend the human biases that reside deep in our DNA. Will it? This research shows that we have a long way to go. If creators of programs don't check their biases at the door, they will inhabit the software and hardware, leaving us at least as bad off as we started.
Overcoming the fear factor: How perceptions of supervisor openness lead employees to speak up when fearing external threat
by R. David Lebel
In Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Volume 135, July 2016, Pages 10-21
Your team members are your eyes and ears on what is going on in the outside world. Are you getting the best information from them? The openness leaders convey, and the nature of how they relate to fear impacts their team members' willingness to speak up, sometimes in surprising ways.