My 18-month old son is learning tons of words a day and we are constantly talking when we are waiting for a bus, shopping in a store, etc. I name things and sometimes he'll repeat what I say. With the things he knows (like train, bus, and puppy) I will often ask him what is that? What I have noticed is that if someone else is around and my son doesn't answer right away, the adult will answer for him. Now sometimes he is playing shy and sometimes I am pretty sure he is thinking "I am not a performing monkey mom!" but either way, jumping in and giving him the answer before he has even had a chance to process is not the way to teach him. And just because he doesn't answer right away, does not mean he is stupid or incompetent. He knows how, in his own little way, to ask for help if he needs it and I have learned to wait for that indication before jumping in and taking over. Sounds relatively simple and like the rambling of a mother who hasn't gotten...
Life and leadership are not about which path you take, they are about the choices you make when the roads diverge. The are not achieved in a one-day or one-month. They are compiled through a lifetime of education, experience, and reflection.