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CEO of Irish HomeCare Teresa McNally: ‘Compassionate leadership isn’t all hugs and candles, it’s intentional and strategic’
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As chief executive officer of Irish HomeCare with a background in general nursing, Teresa McNally came to know the impact of compassionate leadership and the delivery of care early on. Here, she shares how these elements are integral to business relationships, and feed directly into innovation.
Known for her strategic foresight, integrity, and dedication to quality care, Teresa McNally’s work is integral in influencing the evolution of home and community care, both nationally and internationally.
Having worked as a registered general nurse with over 20 years of experience across acute, residential, and community care settings in Ireland and the UK, Teresa brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and strategic leadership to her role as CEO of Irish HomeCare, one of Ireland’s leading national providers of home care services.
Since joining Irish HomeCare in 2019, Teresa has been a driving force behind the organisation’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and person-centred care. Appointed chief operating officer in 2023 and subsequently CEO, she has led the company through a period of transformation, focused on enhancing service delivery, strengthening governance, and preparing the workforce to meet the evolving needs of health and social care in local communities. Teresa is a passionate advocate for the home care workforce, believing that people are the heart of our health services.
Teresa is widely recognised for her compassionate and inclusive leadership approach. In 2025, she became the first female leader in Ireland to sign the Compassionate Leadership Pledge, reinforcing her belief that kindness, empathy, and respect are fundamental to high?performing and sustainable health services. This commitment is deeply embedded in her leadership style and organisational strategy, shaping how Irish HomeCare supports its people, delivers care, and builds trust with the communities it serves.
Her leadership is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and a deep commitment to continuous improvement. She champions initiatives that elevate professional standards, support staff development, and ensure that home care remains a vital and respected pillar of the healthcare system.
Tell us about your background.
I am currently CEO of Irish HomeCare, part of the Cpl Group, and I also serve as director and board member for Home and Community Care Ireland and the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI.
Beyond this, I am honoured to be a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a partner, a friend, a nurse and a leader. You may notice, I am not a sister, hence I struggle when my five children sometimes turn a simple task into a full-scale debate, but I am learning that leadership at home is just like leadership at work, it starts with attending (being present), listening, empathising, and helping – four core principles of compassionate leadership.
How did compassion become a cornerstone of your approach in business?
As a nurse, I have seen throughout my career how compassion impacts the lives of those in receipt of care and equally those delivering care. As my career progressed and I transitioned from direct patient care into leadership roles, the power of compassion transitioned into my leadership style, and I am proud to be the first female leader in Ireland to sign the Compassionate Leadership Pledge earlier this year.
Compassionate leadership is not all hugs and candles, it is not soft; it is intentional and strategic. It is recognising that empathy fuels creativity, that inclusion sparks collaboration, and that care builds resilience.
How does this, in turn, feed into innovation?
As leaders, innovation is a term we are very familiar with. In my world, innovation without compassion becomes progress without a purpose and risks leaving behind the very people it is meant to serve.
As we embrace the world of digital transformation, innovation is not just about technology, but it’s about humanity and compassion. Technology and digital innovation are essential and not something we should fear. It is a tool, but only one tool in our leadership toolbox. The most transformative innovation of our time is not the new app, algorithm or device. It is the innovation of leadership itself – leadership rooted in compassion.
In a world of automation, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence, compassion is the human advantage. Systems can calculate, but they cannot care. Leaders who cultivate compassion create cultures where people feel safe to take risks, to fail, and to try again. And that is the basis on which innovation grows.
Traditionally, leadership was about command and control. But in the era of innovation, leadership must be about connection, collaboration and co-creation. Compassionate leaders innovate by reimagining their role – not as directors of tasks, but as architects of trust.
They innovate in communication, not by speaking loudly but by listening deeply. They innovate in culture, providing a workplace of trust, empowerment and psychological safety. They innovate in decision-making: balancing data with dignity and metrics with meaning.
For the more data-driven leader, are there any stats to back this approach up?
Studies show that organisations that lead with compassion have higher engagement, lower turnover, and stronger performance. In their new book, Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way, Hougaard et al ask how we as leaders can do the hard things that come with leadership responsibilities while remaining good human beings and bringing out the best in others.
In their multi-year study of leaders and employees in approximately 5,000 companies and almost 100 countries, Hougaard and his colleagues identified two key traits that were present in leaders who mastered what seem to be two incongruous leadership demands.
The first is wisdom, which they define as the courage to do what needs to be done, even when it is difficult. The second is compassion, which they define as the care and empathy shown towards others, combined with the intention to support and help.
In case you are wondering why these qualities matter, Hougaard et al’s research found that job satisfaction is 86% higher for an employee who works for a wise and compassionate leader in comparison to an employee who does not. You can translate this into higher retention, greater productivity, and stronger business performance.
As leaders, we also must recognise that the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of self-compassion. As a leader and a mother of five beautiful children, this is something that has transformed my life.
So what does compassionate leadership demand of us?
It asks us to innovate not only in what we build, but in how we lead.
- To replace fear with trust
- To replace hierarchy with humility
- To replace isolation with inclusion
It asks us to see leadership not as a title, but as a practice. Every conversation is a chance to innovate with compassion. Every decision is a chance to lead with empathy. Every challenge is a chance to prove that compassion by exploring challenges openly, positively and ethically. It is about leaning into pain.
As leaders, we also must recognise that the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of self-compassion. As a leader and a mother of five beautiful children, this is something that has transformed my life. We all have moments of doubt – moments where we feel we are not good enough, moments where we feel we are not giving enough, we are not present enough, we are not strong enough… the list goes.
But here is what I have learned – during those moments of doubt, I just need to stop, breathe, give myself a hug and say, “I am doing my best and my best is good enough.”
Sometimes, we need to ask for help. Sometimes, we need to rest. And we should do it with confidence, with pride, and without apology. Because self-compassion isn’t weakness – it’s strength. It’s what allows us to lead with clarity, courage, and heart.
What are some final thoughts you’d like to leave us with?
Imagine a future where innovation isn’t measured by products but by impact and lives transformed. Where compassion is a headline – not a footnote. Where leaders know the greatest breakthrough is the human heart.
That future isn’t far away. It starts here, with us. When we choose to lead with compassion, we don’t just create products – we create possibilities. We don’t just change industries – we change lives.
So let us commit: to innovate boldly, and to lead compassionately. Because in the end, the most powerful innovation is leadership that cares.
“In a world where we can be anything – be kind.” — Clare Pooley
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
Irish Homecare is part of the Cpl Group, Ireland’s most established talent solutions provider. For more information, visit irishhomecare.ie.
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