Proposed model of empathic leadership to address crises in contemporary management

Extract from introduction:

Research on empathic leadership is thriving. Forbesand the Harvard Business Reviewhave extensively explored the concept, and there are a growing number of books on the topic.Yet, despite the increased recognition of empathic leadership, two significant gaps remain in current research. First, research on empathy’s benefits in healthcare (for both patientsand healthcare practitioners) suggests potential applications in leadership, but this potential has not been applied to empathic leadership. Second, no model of empathic leadership has been developed, whereas such a model would be useful for explanatory and pedagogical purposes. Drawing on the proven benefits of empathy in healthcare, we propose a novel model to address these gaps. The model offers a potential solution to current leadership challenges while providing a foundation for future research and understanding. Although our primary emphasis is on leadership within healthcare, we believe the model could potentially offer insights applicable to other professional contexts. We present our empathic leadership model by examining limitations in current and traditional leadership approaches, defining empathic leadership and demonstrating its potential benefits for leaders, healthcare systems and patient outcomes. We propose that future research explore the effects of this new model in real-world settings.