Share a Hypothesis Instead of a Directive

While it's your job as a leader to set the direction for your team, unit, or organization, being overly commanding deprives your people of a sense of ownership. Next time you sit down with your team, instead of saying, "This is my view about where the project should head," try proposing a hypothesis. You can say, "Here's my tentative view of the path we should take, but I could be wrong." Then encourage your team to disagree with you. Of course, you must be willing to discard or modify your hypothesis if someone comes up with a better solution. This approach will encourage debate and give people permission to
voice concerns.