Welcome to the Relational Leadership Dialogue

 The Shifting Meaning of Compassion: From Shared Suffering to Distant Sympathy The meaning of compassion has drifted over time. Historically, compassion meant “to suffer with,” implying proximity—physical, emotional, and relational closeness between the sufferer and the one responding. Churches and community organisations excelled at this because they stayed close to those in need. But, as...

What is compassion? Compassion begins not as an abstract virtue but as a felt orientation of the heart—a willingness to enter the landscape of another’s suffering with clarity, steadiness, and moral intention. At its essence, compassion is the desire to provide something another person lacks that prevents them from achieving their happiness, wellness and ability to flourish: comfort, safety,...

Leaders carry a profound moral responsibility: to shield others from unnecessary suffering and to ensure their decisions—especially those made on behalf of people not directly at the decision-making table—do not deepen harm. Yet suffering is often poorly understood, even by leaders who must navigate it daily. A central insight arising from research with disaster management leaders is that many...

Vulnerability, though often misunderstood or avoided, lies at the heart of what makes us human. It shapes our relationships, our ethical obligations to one another, and the quality of our leadership. Vulnerability is not a weakness to be eradicated, but a universal human condition—one that, when recognised and expressed wisely, deepens relationality and reduces suffering. However, when...

Leadership in crisis is often cast as the work of bold, steady figures who step forward in moments of chaos, offering direction, confidence, and protection. But in today’s world—where climate risks keep accelerating, crises overlap, and disasters more frequently push beyond our capacity to manage them—this traditional image simply isn’t enough. Add to that the growing pressure on citizens to be...

When we talk about relationship, we often imagine something personal—a friendship, a partnership, a deep emotional bond. But the idea of relationship is much broader and more fundamental than that. Relationship is ultimately about connection: the way one thing is linked to another, the way we influence each other, the way we are shaped by the presence, actions, and choices of others. Whether we...