Opportunity Awareness: Why Leaders Miss It and How to Get It Back
Leaders and Leadership Development
Opportunity is everywhere—but recognizing it at the right time? That’s where the real challenge lies.
Leaders aren’t short on intelligence or ambition, yet many still struggle to spot and act on opportunities before they pass by. Why?
Because opportunity awareness isn’t just about seeing what’s possible—it’s about cutting through the noise and challenging the very systems that keep things running “as is.”
Even the best-run organizations accumulate inefficiencies over time. Most come from over-treating for risks. Over-produced reports, redundant verifications, complex processes, too many corrective actions, over-auditing, etc. are signals that teams should ask “why are we doing this; what value does it add”
So, What Can Leaders Do?
✔ Create Space for Strategic Thinking – Block time to step back from the day-to-day and scan for emerging opportunities.
✔ Encourage Dissent & Diverse Perspectives – Build teams where people feel safe challenging assumptions.
✔ Look Beyond Data – Engage with internal customers, peers, and emerging trends.
✔ Empower People Closest to the Work – The best opportunities often come from the ground up, not the boardroom.
✔ Get Comfortable with Experimenting – Not every opportunity is a guaranteed win. Some level of risk is necessary for growth. Experiment.
Opportunity awareness isn’t just about seeing the big picture—it’s about questioning the default, listening in unexpected places, and having the courage to act before it’s obvious.
👉 What do you think? What gets in the way of opportunity awareness?
Learn more about Leadership development work at Nova Path Risk & Safety
Written by: Justin Abshire, MSIE, MBA, PMP, CSP, Founder, Industrial Engineer, Operational Risk & Resilience Executive
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Leadership Development, Safety Leadership Training
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