A Look at Servant leadership in healthcare
At Bella, servant leadership in healthcare isn’t just an idea—it’s the foundation of our Christ-centered leadership model that shapes how we care for each other, our patients, and our community. Rooted in a faith, servant leadership calls us to Christ, who came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28). This principle reminds us that leadership is fundamentally about service, humility, and love.
We look to our patron saints for further examples of servant leadership. Pope John Paul II emphasized the dignity of every human person and the necessity of self-giving in leadership. He taught that "man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself" (Gaudium et Spes, 24). This truth inspires us to prioritize the needs and dignity of the lives that have been entrusted to our care: both staff and patients alike. By offering compassionate leadership AND care, we mirror the self-giving love that John Paul II so eloquently described, fostering an environment where people feel seen, valued, and empowered.
Similarly, Mother Teresa’s life exemplified servant leadership through her unwavering commitment to the poor, sick, and marginalized. She often said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” In every interaction, whether it is providing guidance to staff, performing clinical services, or simply listening to the person in front of us, we strive to embody this attitude of doing even the smallest tasks with great love and intentionality.
Servant leadership manifests in three practical ways at Bella: providing holistic care that addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being; ensuring every patient encounter is marked with love; and fostering a culture where our team supports one another to grow in their own faith journey and excellence in caring for patients.
These servant leadership principles—humility, empathy, and self-giving—guide how we provide faith-based healthcare leadership every day.
Five Pearls of Servant Leadership:
Humility: True leadership begins with a humble heart that seeks to serve rather than to be served.
Empathy: Understanding and addressing the needs of others creates a foundation of trust and compassion.
Self-Giving: As Pope John Paul II taught, we find fulfillment by sincerely giving of ourselves to others.
Small Acts of Love: Following Mother Teresa’s example, every small act of kindness contributes to a greater good.
Christ-Centered Focus: Keeping Christ at the center of our work through prayer, love, and service.
A personal look…
It was a crisp Monday morning, the kind where the air seems to whisper, “This week will test you.” I was a relatively new nurse practitioner, and our lead medical assistant had just called out sick. One provider was out on Bereavement leave, and another was running out due to a family emergency and our only front desk person was stuck in the snow. Obviously, we were short-staffed, overbooked, and every hour was full of patients waiting to be seen.
I looked around at the chaos unfolding—phones ringing, charts stacking, the tension in the waiting room growing. The instinct to retreat to my office and "manage" from behind a desk was strong. But instead, I rolled up my sleeves, tied my hair back, and stepped into the fray.
That day, I answered calls, checked patients in, and roomed patients. I held a baby while her mother got an exam. I drew labs and made follow-up calls. I wasn’t trying to prove anything—I just wanted my team to know that I saw them, that I respected their work, and that I wasn’t above doing it myself.
Midway through the day, one of our newer medical assistants handed me a cup of coffee. She said quietly, “I’ve never had a supervisor help me like this before. Thank you.”
That cup of coffee changed me.
It reminded me that leadership isn’t about being in charge, it’s about being of service. It’s about listening more than talking, lifting others up, and being present in the trenches, not just watching from the sidelines. That day, I wasn’t just a nurse practitioner; I was a leader people wanted to follow, not because of my title, but because I served alongside them. Servant leadership builds not just better providers, but a stronger, more compassionate culture of care, rooted in Christ, our true example.
Since then, I’ve tried to embody that kind of servant leadership every day, whether it’s mentoring a new nurse, comforting an anxious patient, or simply noticing when someone needs a break. Leadership is less about climbing a ladder and more about building a table where everyone feels they belong.
And sometimes, it starts with just a simple cup of coffee.