Author Talks: Read the room before you lead it
Executive Take
Most leadership failures come from missed signals, not missing information. Sharpening that read is a skill, not a personality trait, and it can be trained.
Executive Summary
McKinsey's Author Talks interviews Pamela Meyer, CEO of Calibrate, about her book on reading nonverbal and situational signals of power, trust, and influence. Meyer argues leaders can avoid mistakes and make sharper decisions by noticing cues that are often visible but overlooked.
Why It Matters
Leadership and HR executives shape culture through how they read a room, not just what they decide. Misreading trust and power dynamics quietly derails deals, hires, and team buy-in.
Bizquad Perspective
Leaders chase data dashboards for decisions while ignoring the room's body language, tone, and silence, which often predict outcomes faster than any report.