Conversational initiative compounds over time. People who consistently speak first in meetings become the default leaders of those meetings — not because they talk the most, but because they set the frame that everyone else responds to.

The first 30 seconds of any group interaction set the tone for everything that follows. If you open with energy and a clear direction ("Let's figure out the three biggest risks before we leave this room"), you've established yourself as the conversation's architect. Others naturally organize their contributions around your framework.