Compassionate Leadership Certification Training Resources
Welcome to the October 2025 Compassionate Leadership Certification Training.
Please bookmark this page which will host all the course resources, including slides, video recordings, and additional documents and references.
This is a private page for course participants. Please be respectful that all materials are copyright and offered in support of your learning experience for individual use only.
Zoom Link for Tuesday Sessions
Zoom Link for Integration and Practice Sessions
For Module Resources, scroll down or click here.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Tuesday, October 21 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:30 UTC
Integration and practice session: Friday, October 24 – 11:00-12:00 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:00 UTC
Module 2: Tuesday, October 28 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:30 UTC
Integration and practice session: Friday, October 31 – 11:00-12:00 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:00 UTC
Module 3: Tuesday, November 4 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Standard Time/16:00-17:30 UTC
Integration and practice session: Friday, November 7 – 11:00-12:00 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:00 UTC
Module 4: Tuesday, November 11 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Standard Time/16:00-17:30 UTC
Integration and practice session: Friday, November 14 – 11:00-12:00 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:00 UTC
Module 5: Tuesday, November 18 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Standard Time/16:00-17:30 UTC
Integration and practice session: Friday, November 21 – 11:00-12:00 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:00 UTC
Module 6: Tuesday, November 25 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Standard Time/16:00-17:30 UTC
Module 7: Tuesday, December 2 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Standard Time/16:00-17:30 UTC
Integration and practice session: Friday, December 5 – 11:00-12:00 Eastern Daylight Time/15:00-16:00 UTC
Module 8: Tuesday, December 9 – 11:00-12:30 Eastern Standard Time/16:00-17:30 UTC
You can find more detail on the curriculum, including content and sequence of the eight modules here.
OCTOBER 21, 2025
MODULE 1 RESOURCES
Module One Session Recording:
Module Resources:
Click Here to Download Presentation Slides.
Additional Resources:
These two books each offer a strong foundation for the practice of compassionate leadership:
Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations by Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton – This is the early foundational book written by researchers who have been primary in shaping and defining the field. It offers an excellent framework for implementing compassionate leadership.
Compassionate Leadership: Sustaining Wisdom, Humanity and Presence in Health and Social Care by Michael A. West – This more recent book (2021) written by the UK’s thought leader in compassionate leadership captures much great work that has been done in the field. It is a great reference.
Our favorite fruits:
For those interested in reading about watermelons to children or to your inner child, consider this children’s book: The Watermelon Seed.
For those interested in reading more about mangoes, here’s an adult book: Mango: A Global History (Edible).
Resources From Our Library:
Blog post: What is Compassionate Leadership?
Practice Matters: Nothing Separates Us
OCTOBER 24, 2025
INTEGRATION AND PRACTICE
Just Like Me Practice and Q&A:
OCTOBER 28, 2025
MODULE 2 RESOURCES
Module Two Session Recording:
Module Resources:
Click Here to Download Presentation Slides.
Cohort Intentions for Bringing Compassion Forward
Research Resources:
Read this compelling Oxford research on workplace wellbeing and financial results.
Full bibliography can be found on the final pages of the shared slides linked in the "Module Resources" section above.
Resources From Our Library:
Blog post: The Five C's of Accountability
Blog post: Curiosity
Practice Matters: Curiouser and Curiouser
OCTOBER 31, 2025
INTEGRATION AND PRACTICE
Compassion Practice and Q&A:
NOVEMBER 4, 2025
MODULE 3 RESOURCES
Module Three Session Recording:
Module Resources:
Click Here to Download Presentation Slides.
Additional Resources:
The impact of positive relational energy as studied by Kim Cameron can be read about in this free research paper pdf, or in his book devoted to the topic, Positively Energizing Leadership.
Read the good Samaritan study, “From Jerusalem to Jericho,” that highlights the impact of time pressures on our compassion.
Read the book mentioned in the chat, Compassionomics, by Center for Compassionate Leadership Advisory Board member Stephen Trzeciak, MD, for over 300 pages of evidence on the value of compassion.
Resources From Our Library:
Blog post: Courageous Compassion
Practice Matters: Move into Motion
Resources Ahead of Module Four:
You can take the self-compassion test by Kristin Neff ahead of next week's session if you are curious about your own self-compassion.
NOVEMBER 7, 2025
INTEGRATION AND PRACTICE
Compassion Practice and Q&A:
NOVEMBER 11, 2025
MODULE 4 RESOURCES
Module Four Session Recording:
Module Resources:
Click Here to Download Presentation Slides.
Additional Resources:
If you are curious about your own expression of self-compassion, take the self-compassion test developed by Kristin Neff, the groundbreaking researcher in the field.
These two books offer great coverage of self-compassion:
The Mindful Self-Compassion Handbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
Fierce Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff, Ph.D. for applying courageous compassion for yourself.
Read “The Five Myths of Self-Compassion” by Kristin Neff
Read the article “How to Turn Your Brain from Anger to Compassion” by Paul Gilbert
Read the poem “Admit Something” by Hafiz from Tuesday’s session
Resources From Our Library:
Blog post: Are You Being Kind to Yourself
Practice Matters: Kind To Me
NOVEMBER 14, 2025
INTEGRATION AND PRACTICE
Compassion Practice and Q&A:
NOVEMBER 18, 2025
MODULE 5 RESOURCES
Module Five Session Recording:
Module Resources:
Click Here to Download Presentation Slides.
Additional Book Resources:
More on Scharmer’s four levels of listening: Leading from the Emerging Future, by Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer
Thanks for the Feedback, by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
Additional Resources:
Bringing Compassion to Routines queries
Read “On the Ridge,” by Mark Nepo
Read the difference between “Lovingkindness” and “Being Nice”
Resources From Our Library:
“Language Matters: Use These Five Phrases to Keep Your Team Feeling Psychologically Safe.”
Blog post: Difficult Conversations
Practice Matters: We invite you to explore the world of practice. Enjoy the short wisdom bits in our practice entitled The Only Way is Through in support of your compassion journey.
NOVEMBER 25, 2025
MODULE 6 RESOURCES
Module Six Session Recording:
Module Resources:
Click Here to Download Presentation Slides.
Additional Resources:
Bringing Compassion through Networks queries.
David Eagleman video discussing the neurological measurement of our biases. In class, we viewed from 3:22-4:38. The section from 6:40-7:41 (“entangling group membership”) speaks directly to how high-quality connections and dense sub-networks can improve “communications across the gaps” that our biases create.
Resources Section of UC-Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute
“Stereotype Content: Warmth and Competence Endure” by Susan Fiske
Research basis for the Eagleman video shown in class: “Empathic Neural Responses Predict Group Allegiance” by Don A. Vaughn, Ricky R. Savjani, Mark S. Cohen and David M. Eagleman
Resources From Our Library:
Blog post: Creating Environments of Belonging
Practice Matters: We Are That
DECEMBER 2, 2025
MODULE 7 RESOURCES
Module Seven Session Recording:
Module Resources:
Click Here to Download Presentation Slides.
Additional Resources:
Social Architecture for Compassion
“Explaining Compassion Organizing” by Jane E. Dutton, Monica C. Worline, Peter J. Frost, and Jacoba Lilius, the journal article that lays the groundwork for defining the elements that contribute to expanded compassion competence in organizations.
Psychological Safety
The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson, the foundational book relating to psychological safety in the workplace..
“Learning from Mistakes is Easier Said than Done,” by Amy Edmondson, part of Edmondson’s early research on psychological safety.
The seven-question psychological safety assessment designed by Amy Edmondson. This test is free for individuals, but requires the sharing of an email address to receive the test and the results.
This Harvard Business Review article on psychological safety, “What Is Psychological Safety?” by Amy Gallo, including information on how to interpret the seven-question assessment linked above.
Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups. The research on perspective taking, turn taking, and the need for more women on teams.
Growth Mindset
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.
Resources From Our Library:
Blog post: Compassionate Leaders Create Psychological Safety
Practice Matters: We invite you to explore the world of practice. Hover over the photo in our practice entitled What If We Felt Safe? to reveal the short wisdom bits in support of your compassion journey. Please note, that for mobile devices or tablets, you will need to click the dot in the lower right corner.