Meet Servant Leader Aubrey Lavizzo, DVM

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If you think you must travel to a mountaintop in Tibet or an ashram in the forest to find a devoted servant leader, think again. Aubrey Lavizzo, DVM, owns The Center for Animal Wellness in Denver, Colorado. Every aspect of his life, including his thriving practice, is firmly based in the philosophy of servant leadership.
 
The Making of a Servant Leader
Aubrey Lavizzo, a 1970 Tuskegee graduate, found himself contemplating leaving the profession in 1997. “I was a typical hierarchical leader at that time,” he says, “and I went through a period where I was really struggling with my employees; I was ready to walk away. Eventually, I recognized that my attitude needed to change. I hired a consultant to help improve some deficits on the business side of the practice and also began to reassess where my employees were coming from.”

Lavizzo began to appreciate that every member of the practice team “spends as much time here as I do and cares as much as I do. It took me a couple of years to get used to looking at employees in a different way, to recognize that I am not the only one in this and it’s not all about me; we all serve in an equal way.” His new attitude was well received by the team and Lavizzo’s practice grew. He hired an associate in 2005 and built a new state-of-the-art  practice in 2006. Serving clients’ educational needs and building excellent client/staff relationships were uppermost in its design and planning. (see “Building” Servant Leadership).

Giving It a Name
Aubrey Lavizzo attended a leadership meeting in 2005 and was introduced to the concept of servant leadership. “I was on the path for several years but I didn’t know what the name was. After I heard the keynote speech, I was hooked” he says. “I took the entire staff to a leadership retreat and since that time I do a lot in the profession to promote the ideals of servant leadership in veterinary medicine. The old model of the last 15 years is based on enrichment of a few based on selling services and making more money. I’m not against more profit, but profits are in educating clients and giving value in what we do for pets,” Lavizzo notes.

Servant Leadership at Work
At The Center for Animal Wellness, Lavizzo strives to ensure that every employee is empowered to share in decisions about how the business operates. Hiring new team members, for example, is a group decision, with each individual having an equal voice in the selection. In addition to technical skills, “We look for self-awareness and attitude in reacting to stressful situations,” Lavizzo says.

Embracing a big idea like servant leadership doesn’t guarantee constant team harmony, however. “When we hire a new employee, I hope the job is for the life of the practice, but not all employees work out,” Lavizzo admits. “I worked hard on immersing one young technician in the concepts of servant leadership—I probably tried too hard. I talked to the entire practice and we came to the conclusion that this technician’s skills were not what they should be and we could not risk harm to our patients. A toxic employee harms morale and there is no worse thing for the practice; energy turns negative and patients and clients sense it immediately.”

Patients & Clients
What does a practice based on servant leadership feel like to patients and clients?  Denver attorney Barb Blumenthal says, “Everyone knows you and cares about you. I have a 7-year-old golden and she loves to go there.” Blumenthal says she has the sense that everyone on the staff is working together. “You can tell the people feel heard, and you feel heard yourself. They take the time to educate me about our options. There must be very good communications; everyone knows what’s going on. A friend of mine recommended Dr. Aubrey. I checked the website and saw his community service; he is so involved and that was a big draw to me. We need more vets like him.”

Serving the Community
Dr. Lavizzo was awarded the first annual Advocate Award in 2006 by the Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians. The award recognizes the veterinarian who best recognizes, supports, and advocates for certified veterinary technicians and the equally important role they play in providing the highest level of care to pets. “It is the award of which I am most proud,” Lavizzo says. “It represents what servant leadership is all about.”
 
“Building” Servant Leadership
Servant leadership was an inspiration when designing the new building for The Center for Animal Wellness, which opened in 2006. Lavizzo explains that “our facility was designed with staff in mind.” Each team member has his or her own space, with ample square footage for comfort. The floor plan is open to foster better relationships with staff.

Client Barb Blumenthal is pleased that her dog feels welcome before even entering the building. “The parking lot is landscaped with bushes and plants, perfect for a little rest stop.” Blumenthal also appreciates that space is designed with no sharp edges to injure nervous patients. “Clients who come in to the hospital say it feels good to walk through the door,” Lavizzo says.
 
OH DEER
The culture that The Center for Animal Wellness has developed is based on the acronym DEER:

• Diversity
• Empowerment
• Equality
• Respect

Each person treats every other person with respect. Every employee is empowered to share decisions and has one vote in how the business operates.