--- title: "Lunchtime Links: Why Great Leaders Leave Room For Error" id: "17045" type: "post" slug: "lunchtime-links-why-great-leaders-leave-room-for-error" published_at: "2013-04-19T17:05:48+00:00" modified_at: "2013-04-19T17:05:48+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/04/19/lunchtime-links-why-great-leaders-leave-room-for-error/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/04/19/lunchtime-links-why-great-leaders-leave-room-for-error.md" excerpt: "Do you give your staff credit for learning from their mistakes? Also: Have your employees play a more active role in the evaluation process." taxonomy_category: - "Career Development" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "employee growth" - "Leadership" - "Professional Development" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Lunchtime Links: Why Great Leaders Leave Room For Error Mistakes aren’t always a result of poor work ethic. They can be a result of taking risks. And taking risks is a good thing. That, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links: **Mistakes are OK:**Mistakes occur when you’re moving away from your comfort zone, and, most of all, they’re human. What separates a great employee from a good one is whether he or she learns from error. As a leader, you should understand that and let it happen with some supervision. “Great leaders allow their people the freedom to make mistakes. But good employees are those who when mistakes are made: (1) learn from them, (2) own them, (3) fix them, and (4) put safeguards in place to ensure the same mistake will never be repeated again,” inspirational speaker [Amy Rees Anderson writes in Forbes. (opens in a new tab)](http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2013/04/17/good-employees-make-mistakes-great-leaders-allow-them-to/) Do you let your employees make mistakes? **Under review:**Evaluations can be a hassle to get through, but they’re necessary when it comes to professional development. They should be as beneficial for employees as they are informative for managers. “Each quarter, you and your staff members could create written goals. Supervisors could ‘approve’ them,” recommends [Steve Drake, president of SCD Group (opens in a new tab)](http://www.scdgroup.net/2013/04/association-executives-would-staff-led.html?utm_source=feedly) . “And, at the end of the quarter, the staff member could lead the evaluation/review session … showing progress toward the goals; sharing examples of the work; self-grading performance; outlining updated performance goals for the next quarter.” **Thank your donors:**Does your nonprofit offer donor rewards? Katya Andresen, COO of Network for Good, believes they are great short-term recognitions but hardly maintain long-term donor loyalty. In her blog, [she shared some ideas from Mercy Corps (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/site/when_donor_gifts_work_and_when_they_dont#When:07:35:47Z?utm_source=feedly) . “This nonprofit chose to surprise donors with a gift tightly aligned with their cause, AFTER the donors gave. It was rooted in social, not market norms. The gift delighted donors without crowding out their emotional connection to Mercy Corps. It’s an example of excellent cultivation.” How do you show donors appreciation for their contribution? What’s on your reading list today? Let us know in the comments. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock) [Anita Ferrer](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. 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