Leading indicators are indicators that usually, but not always, change before the [a thing] as a whole changes. They are therefore useful as short-term predictors of the [a thing].
Examples
- Amount of sleep someone gets as a leading indicator for their focus during the day.
Bibliography
“Economic Indicator.” 2021. Wikipedia, December. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Economic_indicator&oldid=1062025570.