The Leadership Superpower: Mastering Interpersonal Perception

The most effective leaders we’ve placed and worked with share a distinctive superpower: they’ve mastered the art of interpersonal perception.

Our firm has built on psychologist David Funder’s research on the accuracy of interpersonal perception (2001) in order to assess senior-level candidates’ EQ. While most EQ frameworks emphasize self-awareness and empathy, Funder’s work points to something more precise and actionable.  The leaders who truly excel aren’t just aware of emotions, they’re skilled at reading the specific expectations their team members, peers, and stakeholders have in any given situation. They can step into someone else’s shoes (take the role of the other) and accurately predict: “What does Sarah need from me in this moment?” or “What is the board really looking for in this presentation?”

This isn’t mind-reading. It’s pattern recognition. It fundamentally means: getting it right when one tries to anticipate another person’s expectations. It’s understanding that your direct report who asks “quick questions” at 6 PM might actually be seeking reassurance, not information. It’s recognizing that when your CEO asks for “options,” they may want you to make a clear recommendation with supporting alternatives. The leaders who consistently succeed are the ones who can make these distinctions in real time—and act on them.

By sharpening this skill, leaders move beyond generic empathy and into actionable foresight. They build trust faster, navigate complexity with agility, and elevate the performance of everyone around them.