Asking the dumb question saves everyone else from having to. That’s a little bit of leadership.

A room full of confused people usually stays silent because each person assumes the confusion belongs only to them. The first one to speak breaks that, and the relief is real even if nobody says so out loud. Leadership at sixteen looks less like giving orders and more like being willing to go first.

Notice the pause after a teacher asks whether everyone is following. That pause is your opening. Fill it once this week and watch how many people lean in afterwards.