If you’re like most people, you chronically underestimate your influence over others. When researchers ask people how much they think others pay attention to them, think about them, and would agree to do things for them and then compare these estimates to objective indicators of how much others actually pay attention to them, think about them, and would agree to do things for them, people’s subjective perceptions tend to be underconfident compared to reality. Even people in positions of power can underestimate their influence by incorrectly assuming those they have power over feel more comfortable challenging them or brushing off their suggestions than their subordinates actually feel.