The zebra, the lion, and the Special Forces: lessons in situational awareness for leaders

Why situational awareness is the foundation of strategy

Most people think strategy is about plans. The five-year roadmap. The quarterly targets. The beautifully designed presentation. It isn’t. In a world of exponential change, plans collapse on contact with reality. Strategy is about awareness. Seeing what others don’t, making sense of it, and acting before it’s too late. Situational awareness is the forgotten discipline of leadership. Without it, you are the zebra that never looked up.

Herds: collective awareness

Watch a herd of wildebeest or zebras. They survive because of distributed vigilance. Not every animal watches the horizon all the time. Some graze, some rest, others scan. But together, they create 360° awareness — the “many eyes effect.” Signals ripple instantly. A twitch of an ear, a sudden bolt, and the whole herd moves as one. No board meeting. No quarterly review. Just awareness, spread and acted upon.