How do I lead people more experienced than me?

Some of the people who report to you have done this far longer than you have, and it quietly intimidates you. You defer to them even when the decision is rightly yours, and you are unsure how to lead people who could teach you. That is an honest and common bind. But untangle two things you have knotted together. Their experience and your authority are not the same currency. You were not put in this seat because you know the most. You were put here to make the calls, set the direction, and knit the whole together. Their depth is a resource for you to use, not a rank above you. Use their experience openly and lead anyway. Say, plainly, you know this better than I do, tell me what I am missing, and then make the decision yourself. Respecting their knowledge and owning your authority can happen in the same breath. Good leaders are rarely the most experienced person in the room. They are the one willing to decide once the room has spoken.