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Early Warning Signals
You didn’t start your business to fail. But failure doesn’t arrive with fireworks. It creeps in quietly—through missed signs, slow leaks, and decisions made just a little too late.
That’s what warning signals are for. And if you don’t have them, you're flying blind.
This book shows you how to install them.
Built on public-sector early warning frameworks used to prevent disasters, Early Warning Signals translates that same thinking into practical tools for business owners. You’ll learn how to spot trouble before it becomes a crisis—and how to design simple, reliable indicators that cut through the noise and keep your company on track.
Because most businesses don’t die from one big mistake. They die from unaddressed vulnerabilities, ignored data, and leaders who didn’t see it coming until the wheels came off.
This is not another padded-out business book filled with generic advice. It’s short—just over 13,000 words—but dense. Tactical. Distilled. The kind of book you’ll return to, not because it’s long, but because it’s loaded. You’ll find yourself underlining entire pages.
Inside, you’ll warning signals matter—and what happens when you don’t have themHow to identify slow-burning threats and sudden shocksWhere most business owners fail to look (until it's too late)What to measure, how often, and what signals are worth buildingHow to design a dashboard that actually helps you lead
This book isn’t about theory. It’s about staying in business—on purpose.
If you’re scaling a company and don’t have time to sift through fluff, this is your field manual.
That’s what warning signals are for. And if you don’t have them, you're flying blind.
This book shows you how to install them.
Built on public-sector early warning frameworks used to prevent disasters, Early Warning Signals translates that same thinking into practical tools for business owners. You’ll learn how to spot trouble before it becomes a crisis—and how to design simple, reliable indicators that cut through the noise and keep your company on track.
Because most businesses don’t die from one big mistake. They die from unaddressed vulnerabilities, ignored data, and leaders who didn’t see it coming until the wheels came off.
This is not another padded-out business book filled with generic advice. It’s short—just over 13,000 words—but dense. Tactical. Distilled. The kind of book you’ll return to, not because it’s long, but because it’s loaded. You’ll find yourself underlining entire pages.
Inside, you’ll warning signals matter—and what happens when you don’t have themHow to identify slow-burning threats and sudden shocksWhere most business owners fail to look (until it's too late)What to measure, how often, and what signals are worth buildingHow to design a dashboard that actually helps you lead
This book isn’t about theory. It’s about staying in business—on purpose.
If you’re scaling a company and don’t have time to sift through fluff, this is your field manual.
- GenresBusiness
123 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2025
45 people want to read
About the author
G. Scott Graham
36 books9 followersG. Scott Graham is an existential handyman — fixing what’s broken, realigning what’s off-kilter, and helping people rebuild their lives with meaning, purpose, and the occasional strip of duct tape. He’s also an author, career coach, business coach, and psychedelic support coach based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Scott is driven to help clients follow their “true azimuth” — a direction distinct from “true north.” It’s not about chasing some universal ideal. It’s about identifying what genuinely matters to you. It’s about recognizing the forces that pull your life off course and learning how to adjust so you still arrive where your heart wants to go. When you're 90 and looking back, your life should feel like it was truly yours — filled with pride, purpose, and meaning. No regrets.
When he’s not coaching people to be their very best, Scott runs a nonprofit farm animal rescue and lives what he teaches. He does Tough Mudders, teaches Sun 73 Tai Chi, paddleboards with his dogs Groot and Rocket, and camps in State Parks across New England whenever he can. His daily spiritual practice is grounded in anāpānasati, vipassanā, and mettā-bhāvanā meditation. A firm believer in service as the heart of a life well-lived, Scott also volunteers as an EMT instructor, firefighter, and Master Gardener in his community.
In his "free time," he writes books.
Number fifty-five on his bucket list is to write 100 books before he dies, so you will see a lot here in the coming years!
G. Scott Graham has a lot of interests so he is not pinned down to only a few types of books!
Check out Scott's photos! And be sure and follow him to stay up to date when he publishes his next book!
Scott is driven to help clients follow their “true azimuth” — a direction distinct from “true north.” It’s not about chasing some universal ideal. It’s about identifying what genuinely matters to you. It’s about recognizing the forces that pull your life off course and learning how to adjust so you still arrive where your heart wants to go. When you're 90 and looking back, your life should feel like it was truly yours — filled with pride, purpose, and meaning. No regrets.
When he’s not coaching people to be their very best, Scott runs a nonprofit farm animal rescue and lives what he teaches. He does Tough Mudders, teaches Sun 73 Tai Chi, paddleboards with his dogs Groot and Rocket, and camps in State Parks across New England whenever he can. His daily spiritual practice is grounded in anāpānasati, vipassanā, and mettā-bhāvanā meditation. A firm believer in service as the heart of a life well-lived, Scott also volunteers as an EMT instructor, firefighter, and Master Gardener in his community.
In his "free time," he writes books.
Number fifty-five on his bucket list is to write 100 books before he dies, so you will see a lot here in the coming years!
G. Scott Graham has a lot of interests so he is not pinned down to only a few types of books!
Check out Scott's photos! And be sure and follow him to stay up to date when he publishes his next book!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 12, 2025
I read Early Warning Signals in preparation for my interview with Scott Graham on the Rumbling Facts Podcast—the #1 destination to challenge the status quo, dissect the system, think outside the box, and dive into uncomfortable truths that collide with our reality. We explore expert insights through raw, unfiltered conversations. (Find us on Rumble, Spotify & YouTube)
i liked that it focuses to catch early warning signs in business that often go unnoticed—things like fraud, process breakdowns, or cultural issues. I really liked how he lays out the importance of shifting from being deeply involved in every detail to being more aware as a leader. It’s a practical approach that could help business owners stay ahead of potential issues.
This book is a wake-up call disguised as a guidebook. In a world where burnout is glorified and overwhelm is normalized, Scott Graham offers a powerful counter-narrative—one rooted in awareness, compassion, and actionable tools. He doesn’t just tell you burnout is bad; he shows you how to spot the signs early and take control before the spiral begins.
What stood out most is how deeply human this book is. Scott pulls from decades of coaching and personal experience, revealing the subtle cues most of us ignore—emotional fatigue, disconnection, irritability—and reframes them as signals, not failures. His work is a reminder that self-care isn’t selfish, and that balance isn’t just about time management—it’s about emotional literacy, boundaries, and values alignment.
Early Warning Signals isn’t just for those on the edge of burnout. It’s a must-read for anyone navigating high-pressure environments, whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone trying to stay grounded in a chaotic world.
i liked that it focuses to catch early warning signs in business that often go unnoticed—things like fraud, process breakdowns, or cultural issues. I really liked how he lays out the importance of shifting from being deeply involved in every detail to being more aware as a leader. It’s a practical approach that could help business owners stay ahead of potential issues.
This book is a wake-up call disguised as a guidebook. In a world where burnout is glorified and overwhelm is normalized, Scott Graham offers a powerful counter-narrative—one rooted in awareness, compassion, and actionable tools. He doesn’t just tell you burnout is bad; he shows you how to spot the signs early and take control before the spiral begins.
What stood out most is how deeply human this book is. Scott pulls from decades of coaching and personal experience, revealing the subtle cues most of us ignore—emotional fatigue, disconnection, irritability—and reframes them as signals, not failures. His work is a reminder that self-care isn’t selfish, and that balance isn’t just about time management—it’s about emotional literacy, boundaries, and values alignment.
Early Warning Signals isn’t just for those on the edge of burnout. It’s a must-read for anyone navigating high-pressure environments, whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone trying to stay grounded in a chaotic world.
June 6, 2025
Scott's vision in Early Warning Signals means that his system of review is adaptable to any business entity, regardless of size. His focus on the owner's/manager's business view is that, with the right systems and safeguards in place, the business can grow and thrive with accountability and sound management review. Most small business owners are very good at the front end of the business and struggle with the back end (management, admin, marketing, HR, etc.) Scott's focus on the back end details are what every business needs to ultimately be successful. Richard Paul, Jr., CPA
May 2, 2025
Early Warning Signals is a rare kind of business book: compact, clear, and immediately useful. It doesn’t waste your time with fluffy anecdotes or generic advice. Instead, it delivers a sharp, tactical guide to spotting trouble in your business before it becomes a crisis.
What makes this book stand out is its foundation in real-world early warning systems—originally built to prevent public disasters—and its smart translation of that thinking into tools for entrepreneurs and small business owners. If you’ve ever felt blindsided by a sudden business problem, or worse, watched something slowly go wrong without knowing how to fix it, this book is for you.
The author walks through how to build meaningful indicators, what kinds of data to track, and how to design a dashboard that actually helps you lead—not just collect numbers. Despite being only about 13,000 words, it’s packed with insight. You’ll want to keep it close and revisit it often.
In short: it’s practical, well-written, and potentially game-changing if you take the time to implement what’s inside.
What makes this book stand out is its foundation in real-world early warning systems—originally built to prevent public disasters—and its smart translation of that thinking into tools for entrepreneurs and small business owners. If you’ve ever felt blindsided by a sudden business problem, or worse, watched something slowly go wrong without knowing how to fix it, this book is for you.
The author walks through how to build meaningful indicators, what kinds of data to track, and how to design a dashboard that actually helps you lead—not just collect numbers. Despite being only about 13,000 words, it’s packed with insight. You’ll want to keep it close and revisit it often.
In short: it’s practical, well-written, and potentially game-changing if you take the time to implement what’s inside.
May 2, 2025
As someone who works in accounting, I know numbers tell a story — but this book takes that to a whole new level. Early Warning Signals doesn’t just talk about financials or metrics; it shows you how to use numbers as tools for survival and smart decision-making.
What I loved most is that it’s concise, focused, and packed with insights you can apply immediately. The ideas are rooted in real-world systems used to prevent major failures — and the author does an incredible job of translating that thinking into the business world.
This isn’t just about dashboards or KPIs. It’s about knowing what to watch for before things go wrong — and building systems that actually give you a chance to respond in time. It’s practical, tactical, and honestly, it’s a book every business owner should keep within arm’s reach.
Highly recommend — especially if you’re tired of long business books that say very little.
What I loved most is that it’s concise, focused, and packed with insights you can apply immediately. The ideas are rooted in real-world systems used to prevent major failures — and the author does an incredible job of translating that thinking into the business world.
This isn’t just about dashboards or KPIs. It’s about knowing what to watch for before things go wrong — and building systems that actually give you a chance to respond in time. It’s practical, tactical, and honestly, it’s a book every business owner should keep within arm’s reach.
Highly recommend — especially if you’re tired of long business books that say very little.
April 22, 2025
The author does a great job establishing what is needed, which is a way to not be blindsided by things that could have been foreseen. The author has a very concise and meaty style, so you won’t waste your time with a lot of fluff. He tends, in this and other books, to emphasize assessment and monitoring. This works well, because everyone is different. No two businesses or people will have the exact same needs. The author not only insists upon the importance of assessment; a framework is given to do that assessment. Overall, I think this book will benefit leaders and owners of small to big businesses and I recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews