Compassionate leadership has received significant attention in the UK health system, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. This scoping literature review aimed to explore current knowledge about compassionate leadership in healthcare. A search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed and ASSIA databases identified 34 papers published between 2015 and 2020. The review found broad agreement regarding the definition of and need for compassionate leadership, as well as the existence of differences in practice, dependent on the hierarchical levels in healthcare organisations. However, current research lacks clarity and depth concerning the theoretical underpinnings of compassionate leadership. The question ‘how can you be critical of something so close to love?’ draws attention to the paucity of critical analysis and research. As a result, the ability of compassionate leadership to define a new way of working and deliver real change is unclear.