---
title: "What Is Servant leadership? Dental Practice Glossary"
description: "A leadership style in which the leader focuses on serving the needs of the team so that team members can do good work and grow in their roles."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/servant-leadership
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Leadership and communication

# Servant leadership

A leadership style in which the leader focuses on serving the needs of the team so that team members can do good work and grow in their roles.

Servant leadership is a style that puts the needs of the people being led first. A study of healthcare staff describes it as an approach, characterized by moral principles, in which the leader focuses on achieving organizational goals by prioritizing the needs of employees.

The idea is often linked to listening, empathy and commitment to the growth of people. Healthcare studies have linked it to work engagement, though a study cannot promise the same results in every office.

Servant leadership is one style within [leadership](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/leadership). It uses skills such as [active listening](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/active-listening) and supports [accountability](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/accountability) when leaders and team members each own their parts. This entry is a general definition and does not endorse a style.

[Next stepPractice consulting with Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting)

## Related terms

-   [Leadership](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/leadership)
-   [Active listening](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/active-listening)
-   [Accountability](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/accountability)
-   [Dental leadership](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-leadership)

## Sources

1.  [PMC, The Role of Servant Leadership in Work Engagement Among Healthcare Professionals](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12563312/)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

[Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)