A Heart to Serve

December 3, 2025

A Heart to Serve – Servant Leadership: A Foundational Leadership Model for Healthcare Leaders

Kia Dunbar-Harris | 2021

Abstract

The current healthcare environment is constantly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic created more challenges to a system that was already severely strained. Issues such as health equity, rising cost of care, poor quality and access to care, as well as staff burnout continue to impact our communities and health systems. There is a need for a new leadership strategy and approach. In addition to being transformational leaders, situational leaders, authentic leaders, at the heart of healthcare there is a critical need for individuals to have a heart to serve. According to Northouse (2016), servant leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, and then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. Servant leadership takes place when leaders serve their fellow workers. Servant leaders develop people and help them flourish and servant leadership is believed by some to be the best leadership model for healthcare organizations (Belsky, 2016). By focusing on the ten principles of the Servant Leadership model, this manuscript offers healthcare workers, leaders, and followers a pathway to viewing their roles in patient care from a servant leadership perspective.

Keywords: Healthcare, Leadership, Servant

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