Are you paying attention to the world around you?

It’s easy to get caught up in the here-and-now. But as a leader, it’s your job to look around, connect the dots and prepare for events that could have a significant impact on you, your workplace and your community.

Twenty years ago this month the first outbreak of Ebola was confirmed in Zaire, Africa.

Unless you were a doctor, scientist or living in the community where 245 of the 317 people infected by Ebola died, you probably knew nothing of this deadly virus.

Nineteen years later, the first case of Ebola was confirmed in Dallas, Texas. Within hours, America hovered on the verge of a national crisis.

Ideas, behaviors and even diseases may take years to enter our personal lives. The Ebola developments of 2014 – slowly building over a 19-year period – prove that we all are more connected than ever.

What warning signs are you failing to appreciate?

What changes are blowing in the wind that may one day enter your world with the force of a tornado?

How you choose to prepare today can make a difference later for you and those that count on you.