My clients occasionally ask why their teams aren`t speaking up at meetings, providing their thoughts and new ideas. First I ask my clients what they might be doing to stifle discussion. Usually, they haven`t a clue.

I then ask if I can observe these clients as they interact with their teams. Most of the time, I discover that these leaders are unintentionally shutting down the very dialog they desperately seek.

Perhaps you, too would like to stifle ideas. If so, here are some great ways to do so:

1. Don`t ask for input: Make the decisions, call the shots, and let everyone know that`s the way it is.

2. Promote only your ideas: Why not? You`re the smartest person in the room. You know what`s right.

3. Ask for input but don`t wait for others to provide their ideas: Put your ideas out there and keep talking in hopes that you don`t have to respond to any bad ideas.

4. Ask for input then don`t acknowledge or act on the ideas: You heard that you need to seek input from your team, so you did. Nobody said you needed to do something about their bad ideas.

5. Take personal credit for all of the ideas, including those that weren`t yours: It`s only fair. You are the boss, after all.

6. Become defensive or angry when you ask your team what they think of your ideas and they are critical of them: Your ideas are good. Why can`t they see that?

7. Be critical of all ideas other than your own: See explanation for #2 above.

The problem is, you no longer have the franchise on ideas. How can you? The world of work is way too complex now and there are so many things to consider. Ideas and innovation are the keys to survival, and making decisions based solely on what you know is no longer enough. The tactics above will catch up with you.

What other tactics have you seen leaders use that successfully shut down new ideas?