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Servant Leadership Snapshot

Devereux’s talented and hard-working team members lead to serve, while inspiring others to learn and grow. Our “Servant Leadership Snapshot” series shines a light on exemplary servant leaders across our organization who empower all those around them to be their best selves. Look below to read features written by these compassionate collaborators as they help their teams, programs, departments and centers reach even greater heights through Servant Leadership.

Taylor Salazar, Program Coordinator

Center/office location: Devereux California - Santa Barbara

Length of service: June 2020

How do you embed an inclusive, Servant Leadership mindset into your daily processes?

I have multiple opportunities each day to provide quality service for our individuals. From encouraging them in their independence, to supporting them as they face the unique challenges of life, I am grateful to be a part of their journey. I believe that in this line of work, having compassion and being understanding and genuine, are key to best supporting our individuals, and the priceless staff who work with them. Our leadership team continually upholds standards of excellence, which makes practicing Servant Leadership, second nature.

How do you inspire others to embrace Servant Leadership practices?

I believe the most effective way of encouraging others to uphold the Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership is to lead by example. At Devereux California, we highlight servant leaders in our meetings, and recognize staff who exemplify the pillars. I know from experience how valuable our direct care staff are, and I only consider myself to be a good leader if I take their suggestions and feedback, and put them into action. After all, they are the ones directly working with our individuals.

Share an example or story of how you demonstrated compassion or delivered quality customer service at your center.

One of my individuals was recently prescribed a unique recliner-style wheelchair in response to new medical concerns. They have had a wheelchair accessible van for years, however their old van could no longer safely transport them. I worked directly with their payee and MobilityWorks, a wheelchair accessible van provider, for months. The payee was not local and, therefore, was unable to organize new equipment. In order to expedite my individual’s transportation, I went back and forth to Los Angeles (four hours, round trip) nearly every week for several weeks. From choosing the make and model of a brand new van, selecting a special rear-entry ramp, and finalizing the details on the trade-in and purchase, we have been able to secure a safe and customized mode of transportation for my individual. Even though much of what I did was outside of my typical job description, the servant leader in me knew I needed to step up to ensure my individual was able to live their best life.