“What do you think?” might be the most powerful question a leader can ask.

A leader who only gives answers gets a group that stops bringing any. Asking does two things at once: it gets you information you did not have, and it tells the person you thought their read was worth having. That second part is usually what changes how hard they work. The question costs four words and no authority.

Ask it once this week to whoever speaks least in your group. Then leave the silence alone long enough for a real answer to arrive.