Organisations can keep delivering despite problems for far longer than they probably should. Assets continue working beyond their expected life. Experienced colleagues find another creative workaround. Teams cover vacancies, absorb additional pressure and stay late to get the job done. Customers remain unaware and near misses remain just that.

Over time, continued delivery can create the illusion of resilience. In reality, the organisation may be consuming two things that are difficult to measure: good luck and goodwill. Neither is an infinite resource. Eventually the asset fails, the near miss becomes an incident, the workaround gets exposed, the experienced colleague leaves or people simply stop going the extra mile.

What appears to be a sudden deterioration often isn't sudden at all. The underlying weaknesses were already there, but luck and goodwill were simply masking them.

Good luck can hide operational weakness. Goodwill can compensate for it. Neither should be mistaken for resilience.