Stress Accumulation
Organizational stress accumulates slowly through strategic divergence, growth rate mismatch, investor pressure, talent retention challenges, and technology divergence.
Stress accumulates slowly, fractures propagate suddenly. The trigger isn't the cause - it's the final stress that exceeds threshold.
Tensile stress in glaciers increases as the terminus extends farther over water. At some distance, the stress exceeds ice tensile strength (~1-3 MPa). A crack initiates. The critical threshold is consistent, but the time to reach threshold varies based on advance rate and environmental conditions (warmer water destabilizes ice faster, accelerating calving). Slow glaciers (10 meters/year advance) calve every 2-5 years; fast glaciers (1000 meters/year advance) calve daily or multiple times per day.
Business Application of Stress Accumulation
Organizational stress accumulates slowly through strategic divergence, growth rate mismatch, investor pressure, talent retention challenges, and technology divergence. The trigger event (market downturn, key executive leaving, missed earnings) isn't the cause - it's the final stress that exceeds threshold.