Reflections on Compassion in the Boardroom

The UK higher education system adopts a ‘binary’ board model, which differentiates the operational responsibilities of the executive from the strategic and holding-to-account responsibilities of directors. In theory, a clear blue sea separates these two areas, although in practice, the boundaries blur, which, in the worst cases, can lead to confusion and a dysfunctional board or council (different higher education organisations use different terms). To avoid repetition, I will use the word ‘board’ to mean the overall responsible strategic group of an organisation. The vast majority of the research in this area concurs with the simple premise that relationships and communication are the two key factors that divide the successful higher education board from the dysfunctional one. Therefore, the core policy theme in this chapter is human relationships. One of the ‘virtuous’ characteristics of good leadership is compassion. It is not only a good characteristic in terms of relational skills, but compassion also does good. Compassion is both an interactive virtue and a practical value in enhancing leadership. This chapter examines whether there is a place for compassion in the boardroom and provides a critical reflection on where compassion has failed and its consequences, as well as examples of good governance and board practices. Its aim is to provide a research and practice-based approach to compassion at the board level and demonstrate the importance of compassion in enhancing leadership, board competency and the development of the organisational ethos.