Tag: family business advice

What Nonfamily Managers Need From Family Firm Leaders

Vision matters—but so does individualized consideration. This study shows nonfamily managers perform better when CEOs pair transformational leadership with genuine, personalized attention and Read more

How Families Can Re-Engage Reluctant Successors Without Pressure

Successors recommit when roles align with their values, skills, and life stage—and when family dynamics allow earlier experiences to be reinterpreted. Many family firms think about succession when Read more

How Families Shape Successor Motivation—and the Firm’s Long-Term Direction

Family firms don’t have goals—people do. The rise and fall of Italy's Florio dynasty shows how successor motivation shapes the balance between growth, legacy, and community—and how families can Read more

Family Offices Are Expanding Their Role

As family attitudes towards wealth, purpose, and legacy evolve, their offices are doing more than just managing wealth, a study shows. Family offices are no longer quiet custodians of wealth. Based Read more

Will Your Nonfamily Employees Defend Your Business? 

A stewardship climate, where employees feel trusted and truly valued, mobilizes nonfamily employees to defend the family firm against reputational threats. EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was produced Read more

You're Adding a Board of Directors. Is Your Management Team Ready?

A Ukraine-based family business installed a board to provide structure as it scaled globally. Here's how the owners overcame top managers' fears and won their support. Photo: The International Board Read more

Preparing for the Next Generation Starts with Being Investor-Ready

The most important investor may be your own successors. Investor readiness supports smooth transitions, builds trust, enhances enterprise value, and keeps strategic options open—whether you sell, Read more

Rom-Coms Can Complicate Your Succession Planning

Unrealistic depictions of the sacrifices and tradeoffs of family business leadership -- streamed repeatedly -- can color younger people’s attitudes towards taking the helm. Popular TV dramas like Read more

Cooperating with Competitors is Good Business in Japan

Japanese family businesses are encouraged to help one another for the benefit of their shared customers and their community. It has helped them survive setbacks and thrive. Family businesses are a Read more

Why Enterprising Families Need a Code of Conduct

As Prince Andrew showed, one person’s behavior can become everyone's problem. Families must set expectations, outline processes, and provide clarity before emotions take over. In late 2025, King Read more