How can I become more assertive and dominant in a relationship?

[lucifer2019]

Okay, so my ex-girlfriend broke up with me a month ago. We had been in a strong and flourishing relationship for six months before this, and I thought things were going pretty well until she asked for a break. I'm reflecting on some of my shortcomings in the relationship, and one of them was my hesitance to initiate contact and assert myself. This ranged from simply holding her hand or putting my arm around her to kissing and being more dominant or "taking control" during intimacy. I believe I had trouble "taking that first step" because I really respected this girl, I never wanted to do anything to make her feel uncomfortable, and I was just never sure if she wanted me to make a move or not. I felt terrible when she told me she always expected my to initiate and and I never would, so she would have to. I'm fairly young and this was my first real, long-term relationship, and I want to learn from it. Any advice, especially from girls on how dominant they think a boyfriend should be, is really appreciated.