# 417 | How great leaders handle questions they can’t answer Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-art-of-speaking-up-743556/417-how-great-leaders-handle-questions-they-can-t-answer Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-art-of-speaking-up-743556/417-how-great-leaders-handle-questions-they-can-t-answer.md Podcast: [The Art of Speaking Up](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-art-of-speaking-up-743556) Published: 2026-05-26T01:58:34+00:00 Episode link: https://jessicanguzik.podbean.com/e/417-how-great-leaders-handle-questions-they-can-t-answer/ Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/ujcm8vc8654ji4e7/Time_Stopping_Techniques761hi.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-art-of-speaking-up-743556/episodes/417-how-great-leaders-handle-questions-they-can-t-answer Duration seconds: 797 ## Resource You're in a meeting. Someone asks you a question you don't know the answer to. What do you do? In this episode, I'm teaching you 4 "time-stopping techniques" — communication tactics that buy you time, protect your credibility, and help you respond with confidence when you're put on the spot at work. You'll learn: The Validation technique The Open-Ended Probe The Closed-Ended Probe The Future Over-Deliver These are the exact tactics leaders use to handle tough questions while maintaining their credibility. Grab the free Bias to Action Worksheet: https://jessguzikcoaching.com/biastoaction/ ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-art-of-speaking-up-743556/episodes/417-how-great-leaders-handle-questions-they-can-t-answer/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-art-of-speaking-up-743556/417-how-great-leaders-handle-questions-they-can-t-answer.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.