Leadership for Turbulent Times

April 14, 2025 - Issue #140

Tariffs, Turmoil, and Family Tiffs: Navigating the Current Chaos You can support your business through economic uncertainty and maintain unity and commitment.

The 7 Gears of Leadership, And When to Use Each One Leaders acquire tremendous human capacities as they rise to the top. Their challenge is to deploy the right strength for each difficult situation.

How to Care for Your Team During a Crisis This advice from one of our best-read articles in 2020 still rings true for startups, small businesses and family ventures who are trying to hang on until things stabilize.

Using Humble Language Can Drive Market Success Businesses in trouble can reap benefits by displaying humility – but the rules differ for family and non-family firms.

Women Show Their Strengths When Family Businesses are in Trouble Even in countries where men dominate, women proved to be innovators in times of crisis, a Honduras study showed.

Should Former Leaders Stay Involved in the Family Firm? The successor's readiness for the top role, and the firm's age and experience with previous successions, are main factors to consider.

Timeless Wisdom for Turbulent Times Frank Knight’s work, though written over a century ago, provides insights for navigating the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship.

Your CEO Affects How Outsiders Perceive Your Brand Family or non-family leader? Your choice depends on the age of the firm, and can ultimately affect how the media and outside stakeholders see you.

How Family Businesses Can Recruit the Best C-Suite Candidates Family-owned businesses often struggle to compete with non-family firms when it comes to recruitment, and understanding the expectations of job seekers is crucial to attract the best talent.

Four Things that the Best Family Business Boards Do Well Independent directors hold others accountable and encourage change even when firmly entrenched relationships or operating philosophies make it seem impossible.

Assessments Can Help Develop Family Business Leaders From simple surveys or interviews to complex, statistically robust reporting, assessments give current and future leaders a source of objective data for better decision-making.

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Why Don't You Educate Your Owners?

Women: Prepare to Lead Your Family Firm

Outside Leadership Can Save the Family Business

When Political Differences Threaten the Family Business

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Recent

Why Every Family Business Leader Needs a Peer Group

by Justin Smith / Applied and Practice

More than 300 peer-group meetings show what happens when family business leaders have a trusted place to talk with people who truly understand their challenges. Read more...

Can a Family Business Consultant Really Help? Nine Experts Explain What Families Often Miss

by Holly Eddleston and Kimberly Eddleston / Practice Insight

Family business consultants often create their greatest value in unexpected ways: helping families uncover the real reasons they're stuck, have difficult conversations, and make better decisions. Read more...

Build a Family Governance Talent Pipeline Before You Need One

by Claudia Binz Astrachan / Applied and Practice

Don’t wait for a vacancy. Prepare family members now — through education, mentoring, clear expectations, and hands-on experience — to serve on boards, family councils, and committees. Read more...

'Family-Owned' or 'Family-Run'? The Words You Use Can Affect Customer Trust

by Sabrina Finkbeiner, Jan-Philipp Ahrens, Christoph Burmann, and Michael Schade / Research Insight

Family businesses often promote their ownership and heritage to build trust. Research suggests that “family-run” may send a stronger message than “family-owned” — and that adding more heritage claims can sometimes backfire. Read more...

by Joseph Astrachan and Claudia Binz Astrachan

Let the Next Generation of Family Firm Leaders Chart Their Own Path

by Klaus Lüber and Nadine Kammerlander

Things to Consider When Transferring Family Business Ownership

by Susan Lanz, Gary Burke, Kajsa Haag, and Omid Omidvar

5 Practical Tips for Making Business Decisions With Family Members

by Rostyslav Vovk

Listening to the Family: The Strategic Value of Surveys

by Claudia Binz Astrachan

Family Firms: Building Resilience Across Generations

by Douglas Hassell and Kimberly Eddleston