Friday Buzz: Leadership Traits Employees Trust

A leader can’t be effective if employees don’t trust him or her. And we all know by now that trust has to be earned.

Are you looking to lay a groundwork of trust with your team? Inc. shares five key leadership habits that inspire faith in employees  (opens in a new tab).

Start by making sure that you’re sharing the accomplishment credit with your team. “Leaders who deflect the spotlight away from themselves and allow their team members to shine in it gain respect and trust at an alarming rate,” writes Marcel Schwantes. “There is something very liberating for employees when they receive credit.”

Also, your employees will trust you more if they’re confident that you know where they’re coming from. And that means soliciting their input. “Effective communication isn’t just about talking; it is also the ability to listen and understand what’s happening on the other side of the fence,” says Schwantes. “Leaders that you can trust seek others’ input on how something is working, or how they are showing up in their leadership path.”

Show Gratitude

Six effective ways to thank donors for a lasting relationship: https://t.co/u3CSe7aAcM  (opens in a new tab) @everyactionhq  (opens in a new tab) #Associations  (opens in a new tab)

— Euclid Technology (@ClearVantage) December 8, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

Donors are giving generously this time of year. Make sure they know they’re appreciated with a thoughtful thank-you.

“Have your CEO/president of your organization write a thank-you letter on your website,” Rohita Javangula suggests in a recent post for the EveryAction blog  (opens in a new tab). “It doesn’t have to be long or overly complicated—just a few paragraphs of heartfelt appreciation!”

Javangula also recommends spotlighting specific donors on your site, using social media to show gratitude, and mailing thank-you letters.

Other Links of Note

Do you need to seriously retool your marketing strategy? The Wild Apricot blog shares a guide for creating a nonprofit marketing plan  (opens in a new tab) from scratch.

The Teen Vogue Summit introduced fresh conference ideas targeted to gen Z. BizBash reports on some of the ways the summit engaged young attendees  (opens in a new tab).

Is it time to elevate new leaders in your organization? Forbes shares research-backed ways to develop effective leaders  (opens in a new tab).

(runeer/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images Plus)