Taken from the Newsletter, Early to Rise
In "How to Become a Great Boss", Jeffrey J. Fox tells the story of a manager whose boss "never told her how to solve a problem." She was allowed to make her own decisions and learn from her mistakes. Whenever she would ask for advice, he'd always answer with the same seven words: "I don't know. What do you think?"
By doing this, he not only gave her the impetus (see "Word to the Wise," below) to come up with her own solutions to problems but also let her know that he believed she had the ability to do it.
As Fox says, "Seven common words -- and the courage, self-assurance, and modesty to use them -- make for uncommon wisdom."