Compassion and Well-being in School Leadership
This month I am launching my newsletter series based on my capstone project exploring school leader well-being.
One theme from the research papers was the emotional labour that school leaders experience and there were examples of compassion fatigue (Mahfouz, 2020). But there were also examples of compassion satisfaction which could reduce burnout (DeMatthews et al., 2023).
I have heard some talk about dealing with compassion fatigue by caring less, and creating more distance between you and your role but Susan David cautions against this stating:
‘Instead, it can be helpful to think about how to enhance emotional regulation skills, including self-care, setting boundaries, and recognizing what is within our sphere of influence and what isn’t. Remember that in order to maximize our compassion for others and reduce our risk of burnout, we must also show compassion to ourselves.’
This makes sense when you think that many school leaders gain a sense of meaning and purpose from caring for others and this meaning is a source of well-being.
If this is something you struggle with then I invite you to think about this question:
What would it look like for you to show yourself 5% more self-compassion?
If you would like to find out more about the research into pathways to well-being and school leadership, including strategies to support you through the emotional labour of school leadership then you can sign up for the Light Up Edu-Leadership newsletter.
(DeMatthews, D. E., Reyes, P., Carrola, P., Edwards, W., & James, L. (2023). Novice Principal Burnout: Exploring Secondary Trauma, Working Conditions, and Coping Strategies in an Urban District. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 22(1), 181–199.
Mahfouz, J. (2020). Principals and Stress: Few Coping Strategies for Abundant Stressors. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(3), 440–458.)
