Over summer, a house in McCrae (where we spend a lot of time throughout the year) dramatically slid off a cliff. Thank you to everyone who reached out to check that it wasn’t our home very thoughtful.

On the surface, the house looked solid beautiful, well-built, and enviable. But beneath it, unseen erosion had been at work for years. Then one day, it all came crashing down.

This is exactly what happens in teams when leaders fail to see what’s beneath the surface. At first, everything looks fine targets are hit, meetings run smoothly, and service is delivered. But if leaders don’t tune in to the real emotional and social dynamics at play, cracks begin to form. A burnt-out team member. A frustrated frontline worker. A slow but steady disengagement.

Then one day boom. The whole culture collapses. People leave. Customers complain. Performance plummets.

OK, I may be a little dramatic here. But in reality, when companies reach out to us for help with their service cultures, it often feels long overdue. So much can be addressed before it reaches the point of collapse.

Great service leadership isn’t about reacting to a breakdown it’s about preventing it. The 5D framework helps leaders strengthen the foundations: (Click HERE to learn more)

🔹 Physical – Do your people have what they need to thrive?
🔹 Cognitive – Are you truly paying attention?
🔹 Emotional – Are you leading with empathy?
🔹 Social – Are relationships strong, or fragile?
🔹 Spiritual – Is there a shared purpose that fuels commitment?

The McCrae house didn’t fall because of one big storm. It fell because no one noticed the erosion happening underneath. The same happens in teams.

So, what now? Don’t wait for the crash. Check your foundations now. Where are the cracks forming in your team? And what are you doing about them?