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.Search & Save Enter search below to create an easy reading list
Recent
Family Offices Are Booming—But Do They Actually Work?
by Patrik Hayoz, PhD, Bingbing Ge, and Alfredo De Massis
/ Research Insight
Research still can’t clearly explain when they deliver real value. A review shows what we know, what we don’t, and how families can close the needs-to-services gap. Read more...
What Nonfamily Managers Need From Family Firm Leaders
by Mat Hughes, Alfredo De Massis, Sascha Kraus, Qilin Hu, and Yi-Ying Chang
/ Research Insight
Vision matters—but so does individualized consideration. This study shows nonfamily managers perform better when CEOs pair transformational leadership with genuine, personalized attention and political skill. Read more...
How Families Can Re-Engage Reluctant Successors Without Pressure
by John Cater, Roland Kidwell, Megan Harper, and Marilyn Young
/ Research Insight
Successors recommit when roles align with their values, skills, and life stage—and when family dynamics allow earlier experiences to be reinterpreted. Read more...
How Families Shape Successor Motivation—and the Firm’s Long-Term Direction
by Alexandra Dawson
/ Research Insight
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 build more durable, values-led leadership. Read more...
Trending
Listening to the Family: The Strategic Value of Surveys
by Claudia Binz Astrachan
Will Your Family Brand Survive New Leadership?
by Meghan Lynch
How to Run a Family Business Successfully
by Kerry Hannon
Announcing Our 2024-25 Schulze Awards Winners
by Kimberly Eddleston and Mat Hughes
Here Are the Next Gen's Biggest Worries
by Kimberly Eddleston
Editorial offices located at St Thomas University
Popular
Ready to Lead: Building Confidence Across Generations
by Paul Edelman
From 'Passing Down' to 'Building Up': Rethinking Values in Family Firms
by Viktoria Luft, Anne Katarina Heider, Heinrich Liechtenstein, and Tarek el Sehity
Things to Consider When Transferring Family Business Ownership
by Susan Lanz, Gary Burke, Kajsa Haag, and Omid Omidvar
Responsible Creativity: Turning Ideas into Business Reality
by Dr. Yoel Asseraf
How Three Women Upheld Family Values and Thrived Despite Adversity
by Boyka Simeonova and Mat Hughes
Should I Participate in a Business Accelerator?
by Jon Eckhardt
Supported by the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation