When you get the chance to lead, make it easier for the quiet people to talk.

Most groups are run by whoever talks fastest, which is rarely the same as whoever has the best idea. Quiet people usually have thought longer, and they stop offering when every gap gets filled before they reach it. A leader’s job in a conversation is managing the gaps, not filling them.

In the next group you run, ask one person directly what they think instead of asking the room. Leave three seconds of silence after a question, longer than it sounds. If someone gets interrupted, hand the floor back to them by name.