Here's a magic trick to demonstrate Saruman magic in an organization.

This works for situations where it's unclear which direction the group should go.

Talk to everyone in the group individually.

Discover in the 1:1s the solution that every individual could live with.

Do this by listening to constraints and then floating a trial balloon.

This requires empathy and active listening!

It's relatively low risk if the trial balloon gets shot down, since it's low stakes and offered with minimal commitment.

The main cost is just time.

Later in a meeting with the whole group, propose the solution that you have already secretly discovered works.

Present it as though it's lightly held, an idea that just occurred to you in that moment.

"Perhaps a silly thought, but it just occurs to me that maybe…"

Everyone will agree (especially when they see that everyone else agrees)

You look supernaturally insightful and convincing.

But really the magic trick is that you did hidden work, where each individual saw only a small portion of the total work.

You suggested the thing you already knew worked.

A magic trick!