In our field, we talk a lot about caring. Caring for residents. Caring for clients. Caring for families.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the strength of that care depends on something we talk about far less: the culture leaders create for the people providing it.
At Vivie, our mission is to enrich, empower, and elevate people throughout life’s journey. That word—people—is intentional. It includes the individuals and families we serve, and it includes the team members who show up every day to support them.
If we want to deliver extraordinary care, we have to build cultures that care for the people providing it.
Over time I’ve had the privilege of working alongside the people who do this work every day. What stands out most is the warmth, patience, and commitment they bring to others. The people in this field deserve leaders who are just as committed to them as they are to the people they serve.
Early in my career, a mentor told me, “The speed of the leader is the pace of the pack.” That line stuck with me. Leaders set the tone. Teams follow. It’s simple, and it’s true.
In health care and aging services, where the work is meaningful, important, and oftentimes demanding, leaders shape the environment where care happens. When leaders create clarity, stability, and support, teams can focus on what matters most: serving others.
Put simply, the culture of care experienced by residents and clients reflects the leadership culture experienced by team members. The tone leaders set becomes the environment teams work in every day.
Our population is aging rapidly, and the demand for care continues to grow. At the same time, organizations across the country are working hard to recruit and retain the people who make that care possible.
We cannot leave leadership, or culture, to chance.
The work our teams do is deeply meaningful. It’s also emotional and can be physically taxing. Our caregivers support people through some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Seeing that work up close is a daily reminder of the kind of heart it takes to serve in this field and the kind of leadership it requires.
When leaders are steady, clear, and values-driven, they create stability for their teams. When expectations are clear, people can succeed. When communication is honest, even when the message is difficult, people feel respected.
I often come back to these ideas:
Accountability is part of caring.
Being clear is being kind.
Feedback is helpful, not hurtful, when delivered with intention.
A culture that cares is not one that avoids hard conversations. It’s one where leaders address challenges directly while still supporting the people around them. Avoiding problems doesn’t protect culture. Addressing them with respect does.
Strong leadership does not begin with strategy or systems. It begins with character.
One of the leadership books that has influenced my thinking is Leading Jesus’ Way by Mark Deterding.
The author writes, “Character is what flows out of the heart. Your character defines you as a leader. People want to follow people they can look up to and trust.”
That idea resonates deeply with me.
Character shapes how leaders make decisions, how they treat others, and how they carry responsibility for their teams.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus models leadership in a powerful way by washing the feet of his disciples. It’s a reminder that leadership, at its core, is service.
In our field, leadership isn’t just about operational outcomes or performance metrics. It’s about the kind of person you are when you lead others—and people notice. Over time, I’ve learned that people rarely remember the exact decisions leaders make. They remember how those decisions were made.
Character-driven leadership also connects directly to stewardship. Leaders are responsible not only for today’s decisions, but for the long-term health of the organization and the people it serves. Leadership rooted in character provides the courage and clarity needed when those decisions are difficult.
Culture multiplies when leaders invest in developing other leaders.
Another theme in Leading Jesus’ Way is the importance of building relationships. The book says, “Nothing is more important in a servant leader’s life than building relationships. We are in the people business, in every aspect of our lives.”
That message applies to every leader, not just those working in human resources.
Too often, leadership is left to chance. Many people step into leadership roles because they excelled in another position. But that doesn’t mean they’ve been taught how to lead.
Like any meaningful skill, leadership requires training, practice, and support. That’s why leadership development matters so much.
At Vivie, we’ve made intentional investments in developing leaders across the organization. For example, we recently completed a half-year servant leadership training program for every supervisor. And we’re currently building a leadership development program designed for leaders who are new to Vivie or new to leadership itself.
Why focus on supervisors? Because culture lives with the leaders who guide our caregiving teams every day.
The daily experience of a team member is shaped far more by their immediate leader than by anything an executive says in a town hall.
When leaders grow, teams grow. And when teams grow, the culture grows with them.
Leadership—and care—have a way of compounding.
When we invest in leaders, they tend to invest in others, creating a ripple effect across the organization. The idea is simple: develop tomorrow’s leaders today.
At its core, it’s about people. It’s about recognizing potential and giving individuals the opportunity to grow. Often, the future leaders of an organization are already there. They simply need someone to notice their potential and help them grow.
By recognizing potential across the organization and investing in leadership development, organizations build cultures that can adapt, evolve, and thrive for years to come.
Developing leaders also prepares organizations for something every health care organization is facing: constant change.
Regulations evolve. Expectations shift. Technology advances. The needs of our communities continue to grow.
Strong leadership helps organizations navigate that change with clarity and purpose.
Stewardship plays an important role in that responsibility. Leaders must care for today’s teams and the people they serve, while also safeguarding the long-term health of the organization. That means building systems that work today and preparing for what comes next.
Sometimes that means making decisions that are difficult in the moment and necessary for the future. When leaders communicate clearly and help teams understand the “why,” even difficult moments can strengthen culture rather than weaken it.
I’ll be honest about something: empathy doesn’t always come naturally to me.
I tend to think in terms of solutions and direction. I like clarity. I like moving forward.
And if you work in human resources, you know our role is not always associated with the easiest moments in the workplace. Often, we’re called in during times of tension, change, or difficult decisions.
Over time, I’ve learned that empathy is essential to strong leadership, especially in our field. Our teams do difficult work every day. Sometimes the most important thing a leader can do is slow down, listen, and acknowledge what someone is experiencing.
Empathy doesn’t replace clarity. The best leaders practice both. Because clarity is kindness, and people deserve leaders who offer both honesty and support.
It’s something I continue to work on as a leader.
Health care attracts people who genuinely want to serve others. That sense of purpose is powerful. Still, purpose alone isn’t enough to sustain the workforce our communities depend on. After many years working with leaders across our organization, one thing has become very clear to me: culture does not drift into place. It’s built intentionally, leader by leader.
And in health care and aging services, the tone leaders set shapes the care that follows, today and for generations to come.
At Vivie, we’re always looking for people who want to lead with purpose and care for others. Learn more about careers with Vivie.