Last week, we talked about desire paths—the trails people create when reality doesn’t match the plan.

This week, I’ve been thinking about something closely related:

Most leadership challenges don’t begin as problems.
They begin as signals.

A little less energy in meetings.
Managers taking longer to make decisions.
Teams participating less, even when attendance looks the same.
The leader who used to bring ideas now mostly listens.

Nothing dramatic. Nothing urgent. Just small shifts.

And for HR and talent leaders, these are often the hardest moments to navigate—because nothing is technically “wrong” yet. There’s no formal issue, no survey result, no escalation.

But something has changed.

The organizations that stay healthy aren’t the ones that react fastest to big problems. They’re the ones that learn to notice small signals early—and help managers do the same.

By the time a challenge shows up in engagement data or performance conversations, it’s usually been building for months.

Stress rarely announces itself loudly at first. It spreads quietly through tone, energy, and behavior.

Managers feel pressure but don’t name it.
Teams sense uncertainty but don’t discuss it.
Work keeps moving, but connection slowly decreases.

HR leaders often sit in a unique position here. You’re not just supporting individuals you’re watching patterns across teams.

You notice when:

These are early signals, not failures.

And when HR teams help managers recognize these moments sooner, they prevent small strains from turning into burnout, disengagement, or culture repair work later.

Here’s a simple practice you can introduce to managers this week:

The 3-Signal Check:
Before or after a team meeting, invite managers to reflect on three questions:

The goal isn’t diagnosis. It’s awareness.

Then encourage one small follow-up question managers can ask their team:
“What’s been feeling harder than usual lately?”

No fixing required. Just listening.

Often, being noticed lowers the temperature more than any immediate solution.

Across organizations lately, HR leaders are sharing things like:

“I can’t point to a single problem, but something feels off across multiple teams.”
“Our managers are working hard, but they seem more depleted than they realize.”
“We don’t need another program—we need leaders to slow down and notice what’s happening.”

Many leaders don’t need more frameworks right now.

They need permission —and simple tools—to pay attention earlier.

Final thought:

A lot of leadership development focuses on what leaders should do.

But sustainable leadership often starts with what leaders learn to see.

As HR and talent leaders, one of the most powerful things you can do is help managers notice the signals that show up before problems fully form—the subtle shifts in energy, connection, and confidence that shape how teams experience work every day.

Because when leaders notice sooner, they respond with more care, more clarity, and far less urgency later.

And sometimes, that’s what keeps small challenges from becoming heavy ones.

Warmly,
Steve

Sent from Campfire—a hub for developing leaders at scale.