the journey to servant leadership - avaplconference.avapl.org/pubs/2015 conference presentations/day...

The Journey to Servant Leadership

To Serve FirstVA Psychology Leadership Conference

May 23, 2015

Linda W. Belton, FACHEDeputy DirectorVHA National Center for Organization Development

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION 2

Think of an Historical Figure You Consider a Servant Leader.

Why?

Now think of someone who

has been a servant leader

in your life. Why?

What characteristics do you think of in a servant leader?

Toolkit Exercise

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

VA’s Transformational Agenda

• Transforming models of care• Patient / family centered care• High performing teams• A culture of service

• Transforming relationships• Customer satisfaction/ Veteran experience• Civil, engaged workforce• Ensuring the public trust

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Transformational Workplace: All Things Connected

4

Patient Centered Care; Customer ServiceSafe, Timely, Quality Outcomes

I CARE

IntegratedEthicsLearning OrganizationServant Leadership

CREW (civility)Systems Redesign

Diversity & Inclusion

Veteran-Centric

Leader-ship

EmployeeEngagement

TransformationisCultureChange

Serving the Veteran

Serving the Employee Serving the Organization


What is Culture?

Taken‐for‐granted values, assumptions and expectations that characterize organizations and their members.

How things are really done around here (water cooler conversations)

Culture permeates the environment –for better or for worse

Culture is the anchor: what doesn’t changewhen everything around you is changing.

Culture change is a process: It takes time It’s built on behavior change

Culture change works best in a healthy organization.

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A Healthy Organization…

Nurtures Success in Complex &

Chaotic Organizations

Incubator for Transformation

Employees Choose To Work

Veterans Choose to Receive Service

VA

Connects all Employees Personally to VA Mission

A Healthy Organization is foundation, not

fluff

Balances Immediate Tasks

With Building Systems That

Strengthen Over Time


“Ninety percent of what we call ‘management’ consists of making it difficult for people to get things done.”

Peter Drucker

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Servant Leadership is both a philosophy and a set of practices. Servant Leaders are persons of integrity who lead an organization to success by putting the needs of customers (Veterans), employees and communities first; sharing knowledge and power; and helping people develop and perform to their highest capacity.


Leaders

Test of a Servant Leader

Do those served grow as persons? Do they become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?

Servant First, Leader Second

We’re all leaders, all the time.


Research Shows…

Servant Leadership positively influences:• Collaboration & effectiveness (Parris & Peachey)• Service orientation (Wong & Davey)

• Helping / Organizational citizenship behaviors (Erhart)• Perception of fairness (Walumbwa)

• Influence of / satisfaction with supervisor (Laub)• Innovation (Jaramillo)

• Employee satisfaction & engagement (Cerit)• Communication and trust (Liden)• Supports organizational transformation (Patterson)

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10.8

17.5

24.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

No change inleadership practice

Good to Greatleadership

Servant Leadership

Fortune 500 Companies ROI (%)


Encourage Growth to Reach Potential

Moral Authority

Concerned About Success of All Stakeholders

Self-Reflection, Humility & No

Spotlight

What is Unique in Servant Leadership?

Serve Others For Their Own Good

WHY SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN VA?


Servant Leadership Serves VA’s Transformational Agenda

• Personalized, proactive, Veteran-centered service

• Civil, engaged workforce• High-performing teams• Customer service• Results- driven• Links to: I CARE, ethics,

learning organization, diversity & inclusion, systems redesign, managing change, succession planning, psychological safety


Servant Leadership is Relationship‐Based

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION17

Supports Psychological Safety• Employee’s ability to ask questions

or bring up team issues without fearof reprisal or negative consequences

• Ability to STOP THE LINE! [Deming]

• Glitch hunts, not witch hunts!

• Learning and innovation are chilled in a fearful organization.

More later….


Implementing Servant Leadership in VA: Challenges to Change

• Bureaucratic/ Political Environment

• Size• Realities of culture change• Misperceptions

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Common Misperceptions: Challenges to Change

Misperception:

You can’t practice Servant Leadership in a government agency.


Misperception:

Servant Leadership isn’t strong leadership. I don’t want to be seen as

a pushover.


Servant Leadership: Not for the Fainthearted!

• It is not soft• Requires:

–Strength of self‐mastery–Strength of action–Strength of relationships

• In healthy organizations, power is the capacity generated by relationships.

• SL’s operate from courage, persistence, integrity, strong internal compass.

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Misperception:

The term “servant” is a turn‐off/ offends me.

Difference between “service”and “servitude”


Misperception:

I can’t embrace SL if my supervisor doesn’t.

Don’t wait for the memo! ‐ Don’t underestimate your power to change the workplace.


We’re all Leaders All the Time…

Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make yoursubject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heartfull of grace. A soul generated by love.

‐ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.25


“When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

Servant Leaders aren’t hammers: they’re the whole toolbox.

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Orchestrating Servant Leadership in VA

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Servant Leader-speak

from the top

Board Represen-

tation50+

Presenta-tions

VAACHEGreenleaf Conf.SingaporeCDC

OrganizationalHealthNewsletter


Servant Leadership

in VA Leadership Programs

• Servant leaders get results• Supports a transformational

environment• VHA’s developing reputation as

a SL org• Now have assessment tool and

internal expertise• SL is already out there – a quiet

revolution (the org is playing catch‐up with what’s already going on!)

• Help new leaders develop new skills for new times

Growing Servant Leadership in VA


Growing Servant Leadership in VA

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SL 180 Self-Assessment

180Ultimate goal: a

Culture of Servant

Leadership

360

SL 360 Self-Assessment

Org Health Web Sitehttp://organizationalhealth.vssc.med.va.gov/Pages/Default.aspx


7 Pillars of Servant Leadership

2. Puts People First

3. Skilled Communicator

4. Compassionate Collaborator

5. Has Foresight

6. Systems Thinker

7. Leads With Moral Authority

1. Person of Character

7 Pillars

James Sipe & Don Frick (2009)

Contact Jaimee Robinson, NCOD for SL 360 / 180


Sowing the Seeds….Making it Personal…

Connecting to the Mission…

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Translating into Practice: Building the Culture

• No playbook: only guiding principles• Every employee must translate principles into practice. • What is meaningful to me? • Why is this important?• What will I do differently?• What impact will I have?

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Relevance to Psychologists


What Will SL Look Like for You?Non‐Supervisory Offering to help team members Say good morning; ask how someone is “Is there anything you need; I have the time.”Supervisory Communicate honestly / respectfully Give developmental opportunities to staff Share credit for accomplishments Listen; act on feedback Welcome feedback, even when it isn’t good news Be a coach, not a critic Model SL behaviors

Patient/Client

Staff

Super-

visor


Servant Leadership……Why You?

• You have earned respect by your education, experience andinclination to serve• Impact on patients/clients• Impact on colleagues• Impact on culture

• You are systems thinkers – see connections and relationships• Some of you are in positions of authority now – or in future

• We’re all leaders, all the time.


Servant Leadership is not a Race:It’s a Journey


Commitment

What two things will I commit to doing to grow as a Servant Leader?

1._____________________________________

2._____________________________________


Internal Dialog of a Servant Leader

Why do I serve?Service is not a byproduct of leadership: it is the whole point.

Whom do I serve?How do I define our customers? Our community?

How do I serve?‘Serve’ is a verb!

How do others observe me serving?I’m not a servant leader unless others see me as one.

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For more information, please contact VHA National Center for Organization Development (NCOD)

Telephone: (513) 247‐4680 Email: [email protected]: http://vaww.va.gov/NCOD

http://www.va.gov/NCOD

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