Special Issue: Your Relationships

February 13, 2023 - Issue #83

A New Way to Resolve Extreme Conflict in Family Businesses Family members may feel “trapped” in conflicts, unable to resolve substantive issues without damaging their familial relationships. This often leads to disputes that persist for decades.

Managing Emotional Minefields Within Family Businesses We're all only human -- but preventing outbursts in front of customers and other non-family members preserves your reputation and relationships with stakeholders.

Too Much Love in the Family Can Hurt Strong family relationships are good for business, but being too insular will blind the family to great ideas from the outside and actually hurt return on equity.

Getting Along: Straight Talk from a Family Business Veteran Trust people. Walk around a lot so you meet more non-relatives. And don't show off your new car when the firm is tightening the belt.

'Performance-Enhancing Vices': Good for Business, Bad for Relationships Advisor and author David Werdiger talks about the business benefits and personal drawbacks of being selfish and stubborn.

Divorce Can Hollow out a Family Business — But it Doesn’t Have to It’s surprising how many business-owning families fail to properly plan for this worst case scenario. Here's advice from two experts about protecting the business.

Family CEO Burnout: How to Prevent, Recognize and Deal With It How can leaders keep themselves from getting worn down or recognize burnout in themselves? And what should family members do if they see their leader struggling?

How Family Business Leaders Can Encourage Both Devotion and Performance Family firms should use HRM practices that balance collaboration and monitoring for best results.

'Let’s Not Go There...' Taboos in Family Business Many families dare not discuss certain topics because they want to preserve the illusion of harmony and unity. But these taboo topics are bound to erupt sooner or later.

Are Your Family and Business Thriving Together - Or Undermining Each Other? Like organisms in nature, the relationship between family and business can be mutually beneficial or detrimental. Here's how to strengthen both spheres.

Families Can Overcome Generational Conflicts Over Technology A study of Italian firms shows how differences can be resolved, so the company can honor tradition and still make progress.

What Families in Conflict Can Learn from Baseball and Teachers Using a hybrid of mediation and arbitration offers a real chance to preserve family relationships during a difficult period of conflict.

Family Emotions Can Drive Business Decisions Because personal and business dynamics are so closely intertwined, private disagreements and personal histories inevitably spill over into the business.

How Family Firms Can Prevent (or Cool Down) Sibling Rivalries Koch Industries, McCain Foods and Robert Mondavi were all roiled by sibling battles. These three strategies will help you prevent it.

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Women Can Help Family Firms Innovate – but Socioemotional Factors Matter

AI in Family Business: Why Brain Capital Is Your Real Competitive Advantage

Family Offices Are Booming—But Do They Actually Work?

What Nonfamily Managers Need From Family Firm Leaders

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Recent

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...

Family Offices Are Expanding Their Role

by Peter Vogel / Applied and Practice

As family attitudes towards wealth, purpose, and legacy evolve, their offices are doing more than just managing wealth, a study shows. Read more...

Will Your Nonfamily Employees Defend Your Business?

by Sarah Burrows, Craig Crossley, Catherine Faherty, and Jim Combs / Research Insight

A stewardship climate, where employees feel trusted and truly valued, mobilizes nonfamily employees to defend the family firm against reputational threats. Read more...

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

Why Does EOS/Traction Work So Well for Family Businesses?

by Sara Stern

Here Are the Next Gen's Biggest Worries

by Kimberly Eddleston