One of my clients faced this recently. He is a highly capable technical leader who suddenly found himself in a perfect storm: leading a two-year cloud transformation that was behind schedule, navigating a new CTO’s expectations, and preparing to step into his retiring supervisor’s shoes.
Technically, he was outstanding. Strategically, he was capable. But something was missing.
He realized he wasn’t paying attention to the right things: the dynamics, the motives, the alliances, the early signals, the energy in the room, and the assumptions driving decisions.
In other words, he had been operating with low situational awareness, and it was limiting his leadership impact.
He is not alone. Many senior executives rise because they are strong technically or operationally. But the ones who succeed at the next level are the ones who learn to see the fuller picture, beyond tasks and facts, into people, patterns, pressure points, and possibilities.
This is the leadership edge we don’t talk about enough.
What Situational Awareness Actually Means
Situational awareness is not just reading body language or paying attention to the room. That is surface-level observation.
Real situational awareness happens across three layers at the same time.
1. The Situation
- What is happening?
- What is fact vs. assumption?
- What risks and patterns are emerging?
- What will matter five weeks from now? Five months from now?
2. The People
- What do they want?
- What pressures are they under?
- Who influences them?
- What emotions are present?
- Who is silent, and why?
3. Yourself
- What assumptions am I making?
- What biases are shaping my view?
- What outcome am I hoping for?
- What is my emotional state while making this call?
Leaders who can hold all three layers at once make sharper decisions, grow their influence, and lead with more confidence and stability.
Why This Skill Matters So Much Today
1. Better Decisions, Fewer Surprises
Leaders who read situations early avoid the crises others walk into.
2. Stronger Influence Across the Organization
Understanding motives and pressure points helps you negotiate and align without unnecessary friction.
3. Faster Prioritization
You stop fixing everything and start focusing on what truly moves the business.
4. A Stronger Leadership Brand
You are seen as steady, strategic, and ready for greater responsibility.
Situational awareness becomes a leadership multiplier.
How Senior Executives Build Situational Awareness
Here are the practical steps that actually work in the real world.
1. Slow Down Before You Judge
Most leaders react too quickly. The best leaders pause long enough to understand what is really happening.
Train yourself to:
- Notice before interpreting
- Understand before responding
- Ask before assuming
This shift alone improves your strategic clarity.
2. Separate Facts From Assumptions
Every meeting and every conversation contains assumptions disguised as truth.
Ask yourself:
- What do I know?
- What am I assuming?
- What else might be true?
Leaders who do this consistently make better decisions.
3. Understand the People Behind the Work
Situational awareness requires knowing:
- Who needs what
- Who is worried about what
- Who benefits or loses
- Who has influence
- Who is stretched thin
- Who is avoiding something
This is not office politics. It is business intelligence.
4. Build Relationships Before You Need Them
Internal networks are essential for leaders. They reduce friction, speed up alignment, and give you a clearer view of what is coming.
A simple approach:
“Help me understand what success looks like for your group and how we can support it.”
That one sentence builds trust, insight, and influence.
5. Use Your Strengths to See More Clearly
In coaching, my client realized something important.
His strengths such as deep thinking, pattern recognition, discipline, and curiosity were not just technical skills. They were leadership strengths waiting to be directed toward people, dynamics, and context.
Situational awareness doesn’t require you to become someone else. It requires you to aim your strengths more broadly.
6. Bring Curiosity Into the Room
Curiosity uncovers:
- unspoken concerns
- underlying motivations
- hidden constraints
- early risks
- opportunities others overlook
Curiosity is the shortest path to clarity.
7. Create a Mental Model You Can Use Every Day
A simple structure helps leaders stay grounded under pressure.
Step 1: Observe
What is happening? Who is engaged? What energy is present?
Step 2: Analyze
What is fact? What is assumption? What is at stake?
Step 3: Interpret
What does this mean for the business and the people involved?
Step 4: Act
What is the most strategic next move?
Use this consistently and situational awareness becomes second nature.
What This Really Comes Down To
Leadership sharpens the moment you slow down enough to see the situation clearly and focus your energy on what matters most.