You should read this if… you are a leader who wants a disciplined, practical way to scan the external environment without missing critical drivers of change. This article explains how using the STEEP framework—Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, and Political—brings structure and balance to horizon scanning, helping leaders organise weak signals, trends, and emerging issues into a coherent picture of what could shape their organisation’s future. It shows how STEEP‑framed scanning improves long‑term decision‑making by reducing blind spots, clarifying uncertainty, and enabling organisations to anticipate risks and opportunities with greater confidence and reliability.