Wait after the question lands
Hold a deliberate wait after asking a real question instead of filling the silence.
The question is real. The silence is still new. Priya has asked: "What risk am I missing before we ship?" Two seconds pass and nobody speaks. What is the strongest move? Hold the pause, keep a neutral face, and let the room think for several more seconds. Strong. This protects Rowe-style wait time and turns the silence into thinking space rather than leader discomfort. Answer the question herself so the meeting does not lose momentum. Weaker. This rewards speed over thought and teaches the team that the leader will rescue every real question. Call on the quietest engineer immediately to…
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