The Dress Rehearsal

Every few years, our family has (or at least tries to have) what we call a “Dress Rehearsal.” It’s an event where, together with my wife and our adult children, we meet with our independent financial advisors, and sometimes with our attorney. The announcement is made that Mom and Dad are in Africa and were […]

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The Family Business Time Continuum

I was recently working with a client who was struggling to make some strategic decisions in his company.  He had recently taken over his family’s business and, like many family businesses, there is a history of family dynamics which is causing them to contemplate the future direction of the organization.  This got me thinking about […]

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The Greater Good

It may be anecdotal, but we’ve got evidence that highly successful family enterprises are those that recognize a responsibility to contribute to the “greater good.”  The source, of course, is the culture and values imbued within the family.  For many, those go back several generations.  The source also frequently lies within the motivation of current […]

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Let it Go

Have you ever had a disagreement or argument with a family member or close colleague?  Does it haunt you afterwards leaving you with either a lingering hurt or feeling of anger?  One of the world’s greatest leaders has sage advice.  And, for sure, he knows what he’s talking about.   We’ve repeatedly said that the failure […]

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Is “Good” Good Enough?

You’ve been told you’re doing a good job.  So what is “good?”  Is it “fairly good,” “pretty good,” or “very good?”  Is just “good” adequate?  After all, it’s not “bad,” but it’s also not “great.”  “Good” is good.  It’s not perfect and isn’t expected to be.  It leaves room for error. How about striving for […]

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Characteristics and Principles of Leadership

A friend recently sent us a video of a presentation of Harry Kraemer, Clinical Professor of Management and Strategy at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.  His topic was “leadership” and he identified 3 characteristics and 4 principles of effective leaders.  We think might stimulate some reflection. Characteristics:  Leaders keep things simple.  They see […]

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Five Rules for Effective Listening

Here are 5 fundamental rules for effective listening. As Stephen R. Covey once said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”  For anyone in business, (and we add ‘especially in family business’) feeling like your voice isn’t being heard is a motivational killer. Here’s what […]

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