How the best leaders—from Steve Jobs to Howard Schultz—know exactly when to stop listening and start making decisions.

Have you ever met a doctor who could use some pointers in communication? Or a few lessons in empathy? Nine years ago, Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, was hoping to gain expertise in just those topics.

What looks like a straightforward interaction is actually a precise setup built on predictable cognitive patterns. The trick leverages attention misdirection and procedural symmetry to disguise its ...