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 and emerging leaders with a desire “to achieve for the sake of achievement… and engage people’s passion and foster organizations where work has a deeper meaning. “

Learn more about how Howard Gardner and Daniel Goleman can help us see that “Good Work can help us turn our ideals into reality and connect who we are with what we do.”

Share your positive values with the younger generations in your family.  The easy ways to do so is by sharing stories about your parents and grandparents and the acts they performed to contribute to the greater good.  Stories are more effective than “lectures.”  They tend to be remembered and often even passed on to yet another generation.  They can even ignite the passions that lie deep within your successors, coalesce your family and be good for the business as well.