Embrace Silence

Leaders instinctively jump in to fill every quiet moment, but that habit fuels a dependency trap first described by psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion. When a manager asks a question and is met with a docile silence, the group learns to expect the leader to make all decisions and "take care" of them. That dynamic erodes the team's ability to function without constant direction.

Leaving silence untouched forces the group to sit with discomfort and eventually speak up. Over time the team learns that its voices matter, that it can marshal its own ideas and act without the manager's constant guidance. The result is a more resilient, self-directed group that continues to perform even when the leader steps away.

Practical tactics start with talking less and listening more. When a question is posed, let the silence linger; the team will eventually fill it, often with insights you would have missed. Encourage others to answer even when you think you know the answer - you'll surface hidden expertise and raise colleagues' profiles. Model acceptance of pushback and be willing to change your mind; when a teammate's suggestion wins, the group sees that good decisions outrank ego. Finally, let the team close discussions and own final decisions, creating space for new leaders to emerge.

All of these approaches share a single theme: resist the impulse to rescue the conversation. By embracing silence you break the dependency loop, improve communication, and give your team the confidence to decide on its own.