To improve their ____________________, the leader can start to pay more attention to body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.

• A. ability to read people
• B. decision making
• C. technical skills
• D. strategic thinking

Answer: (A)

Paying attention to body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice strengthens the leader’s ability to read people—the skill of perceiving others’ emotions, intentions, and engagement in real time. Nonverbal cues often carry more meaning than words, signaling comfort or discomfort, interest or disinterest, trust or doubt. By tuning in to these signals, a leader can adjust their approach, respond more effectively, and build stronger rapport, which improves communication, reduces misreads, and guides better collaboration. This direct focus on interpreting others’ signals is what reading people is all about.

Decision making, technical skills, and strategic thinking involve different competencies. They may benefit indirectly from better social awareness, but they are not primarily about interpreting nonverbal cues in others.