Background and objective: Leadership communicates purpose and innovative ways to thrive for performance. Leadership support influences and impacts operational excellence in the health sector as a patient-centered operation, with effective management, excellence framework, challenges and constraints, teamwork and value stream mapping. It is hypothesized that: (1) perceived leadership support will positively correlate with perceived operational excellence (Patient-centered Operations, Effective Resource Management, Excellence framework, Eliminating Challenges or Constraints, Team Work, Value Stream Mapping) and (2) the correlation would be highest with Patient-centered Operations. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between leadership support and operational excellence in the health care sector among a selected group of healthcare managers. Materials and method: A correlation study between leadership support and operational excellence was designed for a group of health care managers (n = 80) from eight hospitals in Kerala, South India. The selection of executives was from NABH accredited hospitals from districts with a minimum of four NABH accredited hospital. A survey was sent to a selected study sample. The respondents were cooperative and provided responses on perceived leadership support for operational excellence. Results: Factors of leadership support correlated to operational excellence. Conclusion: In the health care sector, leadership support for patient-centered operations helps achieve operational excellence. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Espan tilde a, S.L.U. on behalf of FECA.