Dimensions of Servant-Leadership in American Not-for-Profit Hospitals

The leadership of American not-for-profit hospitals is one context in which servant-leadership finds appropriate expression. However, little research exists that explores the sources of servant-leadership within the leader, what processes leaders use to engage in servantleadership, or what impact servant-leadership has on organizations and communities. This research presents a new perspective offering insight into those questions. The Dimensions of Servant-Leadership in American Not-for-Profit Hospitals is a qualitative study of the lives and works of four chief executive officers of successful not-for-profit health systems identified as exemplars of servant-leadership. The researcher further examined perceptions of servant-leadership among colleagues of each of the four CEOs and their health systems. The findings of the study indicated that the common denominators of servant-leadership, as perceived by those served by these four CEOs and their organizations, are that the people grew as individuals; the people felt that they were healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants. The servant-leader CEOs gave strong evidence of a group-oriented approach to decision making. They fostered strong organizational involvement in programs of community betterment, they each had a strong commitment to continuing education for their associates, and they demonstrated in all their activities a great love and compassion in caring for the health of their communities. Finally, the study offers valuable insights into servant-leadership which might be useful in the postsecondary education of future healthcare leaders