Leaders who listen early rarely have to explain disasters late.

Most disasters are preceded by someone mentioning something. The information was available and cheap at the time, and became expensive only after it was ignored long enough to compound. Listening early is not a virtue so much as the least costly moment to receive a warning.

Make a habit of following up on the small concerns you were tempted to wave off. Ask the person to say more. Ten minutes at the beginning routinely replaces weeks of explanation later.