Co-Leadership

The Psychiatrist Leader leads with compassion and empathy, fosters a culture of collaboration and respect and takes a co-leadership approach in the way they work and lead every day. This includes actively engaging with and providing support to colleagues across all disciplines including Lived and Living Experience individuals and workforce, and actively engaging to shape and influence positive outcomes.

Empathy and Compassion

Leading with Empathy and Compassion involves the ability to understand and relate to the emotions, experiences, and perspectives of others, specifically consumers, carers, family and supporters, colleagues, and team members. It involves letting go of individual interpretations and perceptions, going beyond what we think we know, being kind and open and connecting on a human level to make genuine, positive change.

Being an empathic and compassionate leader means having the ability to consider other people’s wants, needs and emotions, to communicate an understanding and consideration of their perspectives, to be compassionate, fully present, open to ongoing feedback and improvement of self, work and impact and modelling this to others. Leading with empathy and compassion requires an understanding of our own biases and not just empathising with those with who we have an immediate or obvious similarity.

An empathetic and compassionate leader creates a supportive and compassionate environment that fosters trust, effective communication, and collaborative problem-solving creating a supportive environment that benefits both consumers, carers, family and supporters and the healthcare team.

Skills

Actively engages in conversations with consumers, carers, family and supporters and team members, demonstrating genuine interest and understanding of their concerns and emotions.
Communicates with clarity and sensitivity, adapting language and approach to individual needs, cultural backgrounds, and emotional states.
Demonstrates the capacity to put self in the shoes of others, recognising their emotions, and validating their experiences without judgment.
Utilises non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, to convey empathy, warmth, and understanding.
Genuinely supports those in distress, demonstrating commitment to their emotional wellbeing.
Comes from a place of empathy and a genuine desire to understand things from the others perspective, navigating diverse individual wants, needs, preferences and intersectionality.

Behaviour

Expresses genuine care and compassion for the well-being of consumers, carers, family and supporters, colleagues, and team members in both words and actions.
Is fully present in interactions, demonstrating that they are attentive, responsive, and available to listen and support.
Approaches differences in approaches and perspectives with empathy, seeking to understand multiple perspectives and facilitating constructive outcomes
Ensures that treatment plans and interventions are holistic, person-centred and prioritise the emotional wellbeing of consumers.
Provides constructive feedback and support that is sensitive to the emotional needs of individuals, fostering growth and development.
Fosters a collaborative and inclusive team environment where all members feel valued, heard, and understood.
Models self-care practices and encourage others to prioritise their well-being.

Resources

Articles and Websites

The Importance of Empathy in Leadership: How To Lead With Compassion and Understanding in 2023

Compassion vs. Empathy: Their Meanings and Which to Use (betterup.com)

Empathy Is The Most Important Leadership Skill According To Research (forbes.com)

Empathetic Leadership: Why Empathy Adds to Leadership (emeritus.org)

5 Ways to Lead with Empathy | Leading with Trust

Whither Compassionate Leadership? A Systematic Review

The Art of Compassion in Mental Healthcare For All: Back to Basics

Compassion Toward Others and Self-Compassion Predict Mental and Physical Wellbeing: a 5-year Longitudinal Study

Compassionate Care: The Theory and Reality Alys Cole-King and Paul Gilbert (ResearchGate)

Videos

Brene Brown on Empathy

Podcasts

Dare to Lead Podcast Series by Brene Brown

How to Lead (and Live) From the Heart Rather Than the Head with Dr Kristin Ferguson

Lead With Courage - Empathy is a Superpower

Books

Dare to Lead (Brene Brown)

Curiosity and Courage

Leading with Curiosity and Courage, means having a relentless desire to understand and the bravery to confront challenging situations, all while holding empathy for colleagues, team members, consumers and carers, family and supporters.

Being a Curious and Courageous leader involves being inquisitive, open, asking questions to inform understanding, being interested in learning from people and experiences, sharing knowledge, advocating for own and other’s perspectives and rights and challenging the status quo.

Being Curious and Courageous will result in trust within and across teams and with consumers and carers, family and supporters, creating a culture where people are more likely to speak up and respond with openness, where it’s ok not to have the answer to everything, while being safe to make mistakes and learn from them.

Skills

Cultivates a natural curiosity to explore individual experiences and unique circumstances without judgement.
Asks insightful and probing questions to uncover deeper insights, whilst understanding and respecting boundaries.
Continuously seeks out new knowledge, research, and emerging practices in leadership and psychiatry.
Reflects on what they have learnt without judgement or needing to immediately make sense of it.
Builds the capacity to handle adversity, setbacks, and difficult situations with emotional resilience.
Speaks up for both consumers, carers, family and supporters and colleagues’ rights and needs, even in challenging or controversial situations.
Assesses risks carefully and makes courageous decisions that prioritise wellbeing.

Behaviour

Actively seeks opportunities to learn from consumers, carers, family and supporters, colleagues, and other diverse perspectives
Approaches new ideas and perspectives with an open and non-judgmental mindset.
Encourages a culture of curiosity among the team, promoting the sharing of insights and learning.
Engages in courageous conversations, addressing difficult topics like safety, mental health policy, and ethical dilemmas
Makes ethical decisions with transparency and accountability, even when they are challenging or unpopular.
Demonstrates a willingness to be open to alternative perspectives, not always have the answers and learn from mistakes.
Advocates for the de-stigmatisation of mental health, both within and outside the psychiatric community.

Resources

Articles and Websites

How The Art Of Curiosity Transforms Leadership (forbes.com)

Compassionate Curiosity » The Safe Zone Project

Leadership's Secret Weapon - Courage, Curiosity and Compassion (linkedin.com)

Building Our Capacity For Curiosity, Compassion and Courage (wisconsin.gov)

Videos

Nurturing empathic curiosity for better leadership | Jodi Halpern - YouTube

Are You Choosing Curiosity Over Being Right? - YouTube

How To Expand the Horizons of Your Curiosity with Simon Sinek (YouTube)

The Crisis of Leadership and a New Way Forward (TEDTalk)

Kathryn Shultz On Being Wrong (TEDTalk)

Podcasts

Dare to Lead - Jim Collins on Curiosity, Generosity and the Hedgehog

Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast: The Miracle of Skill of Curiosity

At The Table with Patrick Lencioni: The Three Types of Courage

Collaboration

Leading Collaboratively is about working with and empowering teams, creating an inclusive and supportive work environment across disciplines including those with a lived and living experience and fostering a culture of collaboration to enhance wellbeing, engagement and person-centred outcomes. Leading Collaboratively means understanding the value of bringing people together from different perspectives, experience, expertise and disciplines to work towards a common goal, while understanding the dynamics of power.

A Collaborative leader takes a cross-team approach to team building, delegates effectively within and across teams, are inclusive in their approach and elevate others to contribute to the team. They are able to facilitate differences in perspectives, listen to others and bring people together in collaborative and inclusive decision making. They are aware of the power, privilege and influence they hold and actively work to create an inclusive and collaborative environment, promoting shared decision-making and equitable power distribution using it responsibly to foster collaboration, inclusivity, and positive change.

Collaborative leadership creates an environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and motivated to provide the best possible care and person-centred outcomes by actively creating a diverse and inclusive environment where all people are treated with respect and encouraged to contribute their unique perspectives, expertise and experience.

Skills

Demonstrates empathetic and active listening skills, validating people's perspectives and concerns, and ensuring that everyone feels heard and valued especially those with less power or marginalised voices.
Delegates responsibilities and authority effectively, providing team members with autonomy and ownership of their tasks.
Acknowledges power dynamics and uses this to influence and promote inclusivity, collaboration and equitable decision making.
Effectively manages conflicts, seeking equitable solutions that consider the interests of all involved.
Adapts communication and decision-making approaches to respect diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and power structures.
Actively seeks and values feedback from others to remain aware of the impact of their power and influence.
Advocates for consumer and carer rights and empowerment, ensuring that their voices are elevated in the decision-making process and delivery of care.
Mentors and coaches’ individuals at all levels, fostering their growth and development, and actively seeking to reduce power differentials.

Behaviour

Fosters a culture of inclusivity and collaboration among stakeholders, including healthcare providers, administrators, policymakers, colleagues, consumers, carers, family and supporters and community organisations, to achieve common goals regardless of hierarchy, expertise or position.
Acknowledges and appreciates the contributions of others, fostering a positive and motivating work environment.
Actively promotes and values diversity and inclusion in their leadership strategies, fostering a work environment that values difference and embraces a variety of perspectives.
Utilises effective conflict resolution approaches and strategies to address and resolve conflicts constructively.
Delegates tasks and responsibilities based on team members' strengths and expertise and trusts team members to carry out their roles effectively.
Communicates openly about power dynamics, acknowledging their impact and discussing strategies to mitigate potential abuses of power.
Advocates for and supports initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the mental health service and system
Engages in regular self-reflection to assess and address any potential misuse of power and to continually improve power-sharing practices.
Promotes shared leadership models that distribute power and decision-making more equitably.
Continuously educates self about issues related to power, privilege, and inclusion to improve leadership, impact and consumer outcomes.

Resources

Articles and Websites

Collaborative Leadership (Oxford Leadership)

6 Ways to Become a More Collaborative Leadership (HBR)

Are You a Collaborative Leader? (HBR)

The Surprising Benefits of Co-Leadership | The Workstream (atlassian.com)

Co-Leadership: reframing ideas about decision-making and influence (linkedin.com)

Building Relationship Skills at Work: 4 Relationship Skills You Need | CCL

How to Build Good Workplace Relationships in 8 Steps | Indeed.com Australia

Collaboration in the Workplace: 11 Ways to Boost Your Team’s Performance

Videos

Great Leadership is a Network, Not a Hierarchy with Gitte Frederiksen (TED)

How Diversity Makes Teams More Innovative (TEDTalk)

Dare to Disagree (TEDTalk)

Podcasts

HBR on Leadership: The Secret to Leading Highly Collaborative Teams

Future Women Leadership Series: The Value of Collaboration in Leadership

Trauma-Informed Engagement Of Consumer And Carer Representatives - Anita Hodge / Grant Holley - Lived Experience Australia | Podcast on Spotify

Spotlight On Young Carers Webinar - Lorraine Powell / Chrissie Fearon / Claire Morley / Richard Newman

In The First Person: A Firefighter’s Experience of PTSD

Cultural Humility and Intersectional Inclusion

Leading with Cultural Humility and Intersectional Inclusion involves respecting and meaningfully including the identities, backgrounds, experiences, expertise and intersectionality of consumers, carers, family and supporters, team members, colleagues, and communities to that enhances individual well-being and contributes to broader community health outcomes.

A leader who demonstrates Cultural Humility and Intersectional Inclusion actively practices cultural humility and continuous learning, demonstrates cultural humility and sensitivity, explores and supports intersectional lived and living experiences, adapts their communication style to the person and situation and uses appropriate language. They leverage privilege, power, and positionality to centre inclusion, collaboration, and advocacy.

A culturally aware and inclusive leader fosters a culture of humility and inclusion and ultimately improves the quality of effective mental health care outcomes for individuals and the community.

Skills

Continuously engages in self-reflection to identify and mitigate their own conscious and unconscious biases, beliefs, and assumptions.
Approaches each individual with an open and humble attitude, recognising the limitations of own lived, living and learned experiences.
Communicates effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Recognises how multiple aspects of an individual's lived and living experience (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status) intersect and influence with workplace, health, social wellbeing, and emotional wellbeing needs and presentations.
Tailors support and approaches to effectively leverage unique intersectional strengths and address challenges to enhance health and wellbeing outcomes.

Behaviour

Demonstrates respect for all individual’s intersectional lived and living experience and expertise.
Creates an inclusive and welcoming environment that fosters a sense of belonging for team members, consumers, carers, family and supporters and colleagues from all backgrounds.
Tailors support and approaches to effectively leverage unique intersectional strengths and address challenges to enhance health and wellbeing outcomes that may affect diagnosis and treatment effectiveness, appropriateness, and safety.
Actively engages in advocacy movements to understand evolving community priorities.
Collaborates with community organisations and resources to provide and connect to inclusive support.
Advocates for policies and practices that promote cultural humility and intersectional inclusion at an individual, organisation and systemic level.
Actively informed by and improves based on feedback from consumers, carers, family and supporters and colleagues.
Continuously engages in critical self-reflection on cultural humility and intersectional inclusion and seeks additional training and resources.