Our latest articles

July 14, 2025 - Issue #146

CEOs Who've Been Mentored Achieve Better Financial Results Family firms where the departing CEO has mentored the successor enjoyed stronger return on assets.

Remembering and Learning from FedEx Founder Fred Smith Smith died June 21, but the 11 management practices he encouraged at FedEx provide timeless wisdom for all kinds of businesses.

Family Leaders: Can Your Business Still Sail Without You? Without a map for navigating emergencies and guiding successors after your departure, your business and your legacy could be left adrift.

Don't Just Scale: Evolve How Entrepreneurs Can Lead Through Growth, Complexity, and Change.

Learning to Let Go of a Startup Handing off a family business to the next generation can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Empowering the Next Generation

5 Practical Tips for Making Business Decisions With Family Members Running a family business doesn’t mean always seeing eye to eye, but you can still overcome challenges, resolve conflicts, and evolve as a team.

AI Adoption in Family Business: Balancing Trust and Tech Using AI can be risky in settings where confidentiality is key, but it can be indispensable in developing innovative services that clients expect. Here's how to harness it safely.

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Resilience-Seeking: How Leaders Can Expect the Unexpected

Next-Gens Want Peers, Not Parents, to Lead Them

Inside the Family Business Boardroom: How Better Meetings Lead to Better Decisions

Family Businesses Must Prepare for the Unthinkable

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by Paul Edelman / Practice Insight

When decisions become emotionally charged, it becomes harder to think clearly just when clear thinking is needed most. Read more...

What the Public Gets Wrong About Family Businesses

by Katie Rucker / Commentary

A new study shows that insiders see ambition, innovation, and complexity, but outsiders see tradition. Bridging that divide is key to future success. Read more...

How Families Can Move From Conflict to Forgiveness

by Kimberly Eddleston / Interviews

Set boundaries clearly and often, understand your own hot buttons, and be genuinely curious about why the other side thinks the way they do. Read more...

What Japan's Oldest Businesses Can Teach Us About Longevity

by Peter Vogel / Commentary

Should longevity always be the goal? And if so, what exactly should endure—the operating company, a particular business model, or the family enterprise system itself? Read more...

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How to Run a Family Business Successfully

by Kerry Hannon

Why Do We Treat Strangers Better Than Family Members?

by Kimberly Eddleston

How Families Can Re-Engage Reluctant Successors Without Pressure

by John Cater, Roland Kidwell, Megan Harper, and Marilyn Young

Things to Consider When Transferring Family Business Ownership

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

From Entitlement to Contribution

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