In leadership workshops, we obsess over communication output: vision statements, feedback models, rallying cries. We neglect the critical input: diagnosis. Most leaders are terrible listeners. They hear words, not meaning; problems, not patterns.

My session often starts with a recording of a team meeting. I ask the leaders to count how many times someone says “I’m fine with that” or “No objections.” Then we replay it, and I point out the micro-signals: the slight hesitation before the “fine,” the crossed arms during agreement, the junior member who never speaks. We are training leaders in basic social forensics. The goal is to spot the “manufactured consensus”—the agreement that comes from fatigue, not alignment. The tool isn’t complex; it’s the disciplined practice of asking, after a unanimous nod, “Let’s go around. What’s one small concern you still have, even if it’s minor?” You don’t lead the statement in the room. You lead the silence beneath it.