3 Ways You May Be Missing the Signals of Change from Your People
Change rarely arrives with a parade.
It shows up quietly—through shifting customer feedback, subtle changes in engagement data, rising team tension, or unexpected competitor plays. By the time the disruption is obvious, it’s already in motion.
That’s why leaders who navigate complexity well aren’t just reacting—they’re sensing. They’re paying attention to early signals, even the quiet ones. Especially the quiet ones.
In fast-moving environments, nuance gets lost. The pressure to perform, to produce, to keep moving can drown out early warnings or valuable insights. But if you slow down just enough to listen, you’ll often catch the signs that something deeper is shifting.
This doesn’t require perfect instincts—it requires intentional curiosity. Asking better questions. Listening not just for answers, but for what’s not being said. Creating the kind of safety where people feel they can speak up.
Because in the end, listening isn’t passive. It’s strategic.
Here are 3 ways you might be missing those signals—and what to do about it:
1. You’re Rewarding Output Over Insight
In fast-paced environments, it’s easy to prioritize speed, results, and responsiveness. But this can unintentionally silence the early signals—especially when those signals sound like hesitation, concern, or resistance.
What to do instead:
Carve out time in team meetings for reflections, patterns, or emerging concerns. Ask: What are we noticing that might not be fully formed yet? Make it safe—and valuable—for people to bring half-baked signals to the table.
2. You’re Only Listening to the Loudest Voices
Often, the most confident or outspoken team members shape how you perceive the landscape. But quiet contributors, newer employees, or people from different cultural backgrounds may notice different things—and often earlier.
What to do instead:
Proactively invite diverse perspectives, especially from those who don’t usually speak first. Try rotating who leads updates. Or hold a “voice audit” after meetings: Whose voice didn’t we hear, and what might they be seeing that we’re missing?
3. You’re Avoiding Discomfort Instead of Investigating It
Leaders often sense when something feels “off”—a disengaged team member, a tense silence, a sudden shift in tone. But discomfort is easy to brush aside when there’s no time or obvious solution.
What to do instead:
Treat discomfort as data. Instead of pushing past it, get curious: What’s behind that change in energy or behavior? Noticing without judgment opens the door to real insight—and early intervention.
The best leaders aren’t just decisive—they’re perceptive. In times of disruption, perception becomes your superpower. Listen before you lead, and you’ll lead from ahead of the curve.
Ready to Strengthen Your Leadership Sensing?
At TLI, we work with senior leaders and executive teams to sharpen their ability to sense, interpret, and respond to change—before it hits the headlines or the bottom line. Through our TLI Executive Coaching Programs, we help you tune in to the deeper signals, navigate complexity with confidence, and lead with clarity even in the most uncertain times.
Disruption won’t wait. But with the right support, neither will your growth.
Leadership Practice
This week, choose one meeting to lead with strategic listening. Instead of jumping into the agenda, open with a sensing question like:
What feels different lately—within our team or in the environment around us?
Is there something we’ve been overlooking or underreacting to?
Then pause. Let the silence stretch. Allow space for real signals to surface.
About Athena
Athena Williams, Founder and CEO of Tenacious Leadership Institute, has been supporting leaders worldwide to become more tenacious for over 20 years. She has found that tenacity is the key to sustained leadership success in today’s ever-changing world. Through the TLI Executive Coaching and Executive Development Programs, she helps leaders expertly manage disruption, complexity and other challenges so they can quickly get better results for themselves, their teams and their organizations.
