SERVANT LEADERSHIP: A Health Care Organization for Veterans

Running head: SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Servant Leadership
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1SERVANT LEADERSHIP
 A summary of how the organization implements the principles of servant
leadership in providing customer service, hiring and managing employees, and
modeling operations and policies.
Veteran Affairs is a health care organization providing care for military and
war veterans all over the US. They provide care for all kinds of diseases and
surgeries. In order to serve their customers better, employee management and
operation and policy making, the organization uses principles of Greenleaf’s servant
leadership principles (Lanctot & Irving, 2010). To serve people in healthcare, leaders
need to have empathy. Understanding the needs of the patients and a drive to reduce
their pain and suffering is necessary for servant leaders. This aspect is also applicable
to their approach to operation modelling and policy making.
The principles of listening is also applicable to all three aspects. The leaders
need to listen to the problems and issues raised by patients, employees and other
officials in order to lead the organization effectively. Active listening has helped
Veteran Affairs to create different departments for services, add on services like aged
care and extended medical facility to family caregivers of the veterans and creating
effective employee grievance and whistleblowing committee (VA Administration,
2020). They also listen to patient requirements for which they have introduced new
departments for plastic and geriatric surgery.
The organization applies awareness and healing for the employees. They apply
persuasion and cooperation for the departments to work together. They also have
integrated foresight and stewardship. The organization earlier faced many complaints
about unethical practices and lack of protections against whistle blowers. They have
taken that into account and have created a committee for addressing these issues.