The Death Blow and a Lifeline for SMEs
Industry leaders from organizations like PCCI, AFFI, PRA and PFA have expressed fears of the deepening impact on many of their businesses.
June 10, 2020
The Real COVID Lifeline for SMEs
W+B’s internal research arm initiated polling of more than 200 SME’s and as expected most of them are grappling with tremendous uncertainty about their future.
June 17, 2020
Thousands of SMEs on the Verge of Collapse
A recent study of 200 SMEs conducted in March by my consulting firm, W+B Group showed that 60 percent of the companies have seen their income drop by more than 50 percent; another 25 percent reported a 30 percent to 40 percent drop.
June 02, 2020
P140 B COVID Bailout Fund Urgently Needed Not P1B
I am urgently proposing a new round of financial bailouts dedicated to MSMEs in the amount of P140 billion. The fund will provide a lifeline to more than 200,000 SMEs so they can manage their cash flow and at the same time retain employees.
June 23, 2020
SMEs Appeal to Congress: Support Us or We die!
With the COVID-19 lifeline fund amounting to P140 billion, efforts must be done to save thousands of SMEs. An economic lifeline devoid of politics nor fear of a credit rating downgrade, focused on rescuing businesses and saving millions of lives.
June 29, 2020
Business Plan
It is a document that highlights a specific plan on how to run the company, the goals that the organization must achieve, and the necessary financial capability and strategy required and employed to meet the aforementioned objectives.
July 02, 2020
Family Business under the Threat of COVID-19
Failure to react properly to change can be an outgrowth of the firm’s history of past successes.
July 08, 2020
The Rights of Business Owners in the time of Corona
Facing imminent bankruptcy, business owners on the other hand have found themselves in a precarious situation as well. Most businesses have stopped paying wages for furloughed staff.
July 27, 2020
The Philippines and Vietnam: (Mis)Handling COVID-19
We must also acknowledge that the Philippines has taken the top spot from Indonesia as having the most number of infections in Southeast Asia. A grim reminder that the country has a long way to go before any talk of an economic recovery.
August 10, 2020
Family Business Governance — Important Then And Now
Whether in quiet times or in the midst of a crisis, Family Governance will always be crucial in creating a lasting legacy.
August 18, 2020
The Philippines and Vietnam: (Mis)Handling COVID-19 Last Part
According to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, "after China officially reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) several cases of an unusual pneumonia on December 31, 2019, Vietnam finalized a health risk assessment.
August 18, 2020
Richard Eu’s Riveting Story of his 141 Year Old Family Enterprise
“Every generation, you’ve got to think what you want to do with the family business. Is your business the right business for the future?"
August 24, 2020
SUCCESSION IS A FOUNDER’S LASTING VALUE
Succession Planning can make or break a family enterprise, “All companies are subject to risks, but family companies, because of their very nature, can more easily succumb to a series of mistakes.
September 02, 2020
When Succession Ends in Tragedy
for many founders that I have dealt with, many of them find it hard to come to terms with their own mortality. They continue to struggle and recognize the time when they feel they are no longer the best person to run the company.
September 08, 2020
Why Founders Refuse to Give Up Control?
When nepotism exerts a negative influence, and when a company is run more to honor a family tradition than for its own needs and purposes, there is likely to be trouble.
September 14, 2020
A Powerful Generational Succession Model
Unsurprisingly, most of those that inquired were curious about a powerful succession model that I have been using in my governance work in Asia for the last 7 years.
September 22, 2020
A Powerful Generational Succession Model Part 2
These two succession models are excellent, packed with authenticity and a deep understanding of the founder’s philosophy.
September 28, 2020
A Powerful Generational Succession Model Last Part
Clearly the worst kind of millionaire is someone who inherited the wealth from his parents and nobody could have expressed it better than the late 6th Duke of Westminster who saw his wealth as a burden he could not relinquish.
October 05, 2020
Family Conflict is Worse Than the Virus
As the adult child encroaches onto the founder’s territory and starts questioning the way the business is run, it now becomes a challenging event for the founder.
October 12, 2020
The Power of Strategic Planning
A rule of thumb is that if there's uncertainty on the horizon, then you need a strategic plan.
October 19, 2020
Strategic Planning 2021
Regardless of the size of our businesses, we are all grappling with the growing uncertainty about what lies ahead and our businesses have been severely impacted.
October 26, 2020
Strategic Planning 2021 Last Part
I can conclude that practically all of the key business leaders and executives expressed their displeasure with their current strategic planning process.
November 02, 2020
Your Purpose of Being Together
A clear collective purpose is fundamental to any family business successful transition, and those with the strongest sense of purpose are often the most successful.
November 09, 2020
Your Purpose of Being Together Part 2
It is no revelation that conflict often ensues when the founder does not define the rules of engagement amongst its active and non-active next generation offspring. The shock happens when the founder dies or becomes incapacitated.
November 16, 2020
Avoiding Family Dramas
Business survival or leaving a legacy from generation to generation requires hard work and commitment reinforced by the acquiescence of the founder or the key
November 23, 2020
Family Businesses Are Built To Last
We embraced their values of hard work 24/7, we were inspired by their stories of survival, frugality and success.
November 30, 2020
How to Manage a 141 Year Old Family Enterprise?
While other conflicted families have managed to keep themselves under the radar, they are not spared from vicious infighting.
December 07, 2020
Trust in the Family is Sacred
It takes only one aberrant family member to hurt the family and the business. It takes several ingredients to make a good stew and only one fly to spoil it.
December 14, 2020
IF YOU BUILD, THEY WILL NOT COME
How Developers Can Defy The Impact of COVID 19
December 14, 2020
From Emperor to Engagement: The Best Option
“the most successful executives are often men who have built their own companies"
December 22, 2020
Family Business Stewardship Is a Lasting Gift
They realized that the signing of the constitution triggered a change process that carried with it the curtailment of many privileges.
December 29, 2020
Family Business Stewardship Is a Lasting Gift Part 2
Repeatedly asserting that succession is a journey that if I, as the leader, cannot embrace the process, the family business will not have stability.
January 04, 2021
The Dangers of an Ownership Mindset
It is therefore important for founders preparing the leadership transition to acknowledge that they have the potential to destroy their families through poorly planned and unclear succession processes.
January 11, 2021
The Succession Curse
It was all talk but no action. In his 60’s and still very much in control, he unexpectedly died following a heart attack at age 64.
January 18, 2021
Are your Children Overpaid or Underpaid?
By pursuing a family system of compensating relatives, unbeknownst to him, the founder or business leader has started to cultivate a culture of entitlement.
January 25, 2021
What if you died tonight?
If you planned the leadership and ownership transition, I congratulate you. In your memorial service, you will be remembered fondly.
January 27, 2021
I Hope Your First Deal is a Loser
“I hope your first deal is a loser, otherwise you’ll think you’re a lot smarter than you are.”
January 27, 2021
Are you Compensating Your Children the Right Way? Part 2
“Family Enterprises: The Essentials” author Peter Leach remarked in his book, “In the case of siblings, for example, fairness is generally taken to mean that resources be allocated equally.
February 09, 2021
Overpaying Family Members is Dangerous
Larry’s wrong notion of compensating family members is common among founders and business leaders.
February 23, 2021
The Family Pay Performance Plan (PPP)
I was once asked by a founder why I was so adamant in pushing for a formal PPP in my governance intervention and my answer was straightforward: “It is the right thing to do!
March 02, 2021
The Family Business in a Post-Pandemic Market
One founder asked me what priorities can business owners initiate to keep the family united and prepare the enterprise for the reopening of the economy.
March 10, 2021
The Devastating Impact of Bad Leadership
You can get away with a great deal when times are good, but a major slump turns many minor issues into major problems. Good times may cover many sins, but bad times uncover many weaknesses.
March 16, 2021
Symptoms of Failed Leadership Part 2
After the first year, they start talking about restructuring, and if repayment is still in limbo by the end of this year, your friendly banker will now say, “We are going after your assets.”
March 23, 2021
The Root Cause of Failed Leadership
For starters, let me quote Albert Einstein when he said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
March 29, 2021
Life Is Fragile
In this year full of sacrifices, giving up would be a choice to relinquish hope and to dishonor all that we have been through.
April 06, 2021
A Disruption-Ready Culture
Planning and bracing for a post-vaccine recovery is important. The art of dealing with this pandemic is keeping the business afloat long enough for the economy to kickstart and recover.
April 13, 2021
Building a Disruption-ready Culture Part 2
"Rather than continue to do everything ourselves, we decided to bring in outside experts to manage the company. Novices can only run a business for so long before its operations become too large and complex for them to handle.”
April 20, 2021
DEATH BY COVID-19
My biggest fear is what will happen to Rod’s business. Did he prepare a transition plan? Are arrangements in place to cover this eventuality and does every member of the family know about these plans?
April 27, 2021
Death By COVID-19 Part 2
Founders and key business leaders should never think they are Supermen. The truth is, they will soon die. No ifs or buts. It is just a matter of time.
May 06, 2021
A Sudden, Complicated COVID-19 Death
As your face is pressed up against the casket glass, you see a parade of people mostly family members and employees crying softly, helpless, numbed, their heads bowed, uncertain of what lies ahead as the business is in limbo.
May 11, 2021
A Sudden, Complicated COVID-19 Death! Part 2
The majority of family-business owners put off the steps necessary to plan ahead. But if you want your family to honor your last wishes, they must know what your wishes are.
May 18, 2021
Procrastination is the Worst Enemy of Succession
Without a decent succession plan, your sudden death could see your loved ones in a sea of confusion where they are left to figure a way out of the difficult situation you left them in on their own.
May 25, 2021
Change in Founder Mindset
It does not matter if an owner doubts the next generation’s commitment to the family business.
June 01, 2021
He knew this day would come
George needed his children to prove themselves first as a part of a carefully planned transition set to prepare his family, his business, and his people up to the very specific end.
June 09, 2021
He knew this day would come Last Part
As a fitting tribute to George’s beautiful succession story, I am sharing a quote from a Chinese proverb, “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” It is time for founders to choose well.
June 16, 2021
A Toxic Father-Son Relationship
I longed for parental love, but instead, he showered me and my siblings with material love. When I joined the business, it was like a hellhole and I felt miserable.
June 22, 2021
"Human Resources are priceless."
How did the founder in the early stages of CP’s existence cultivate a mindset that recognized human resources as a key business driver for corporate transformation, organizational success, and sustainable growth?
June 29, 2021
Your legacy is on the line
“Longevity is not a guarantee, it’s something that you really have to fight for and every generation has to do it.” - Willem Van Eeghen
July 05, 2021
Honoring a Founder’s Legacy
Deloitte partner Alexandra Sharpe highlighted that “the most successful family enterprises around the world manage to unite the constituent individuals, family and business and coalesce them around a common sense of purpose.
July 13, 2021
Hidden cracks in the Family Business
Founders who are in their late 60’s have agreed that each child will be given 30 percent of the stock while the remaining 10% is retained by them.
July 20, 2021
Hidden cracks in the Family Business Part 2
Business owners, aka absentee parents, tend to shower their offspring with material love to compensate for the lack of parental love and lessen their own guilt, which often exacerbates the brewing rivalry among siblings.
July 27, 2021
A Terminally Ill Founder
On top of providing jobs, he was also recognized for his many philanthropic contributions benefitting many schools and medical institutions. The only problem? He was terminally ill.
August 03, 2021
A Terminally Ill Founder Part 2
I reiterated to everyone, especially to the children that as they embark on this succession journey, they must also walk it faithfully. T
August 10, 2021
A Founder’s Harmful Side
They remain at the center of all major decisions and they tend to have little trust in others. Unless a transformation to a more professional structure happens before the founder dies, these types of founder-centric firms do not always survive.
August 17, 2021
I'm the company and the company is me!
In family businesses the world over, the most pervasive conflict has to do with succession because great visionaries and founders have been useless at succession planning.
August 24, 2021
When Founders Play With Fire
When you sense these dangers in your family business, do something now. These are worrying signs that the company may be heading towards a turbulent phase.
August 31, 2021
We have met the enemy, and he is us
When you put all these issues together, there is really one culprit that creates most of the problems afflicting family owning businesses today, and without a doubt, that is you.
September 07, 2021
Nieto Pordiosero (Grandson Beggar)
“All other things being equal, my children should be more highly motivated than a professional manager because of their substantial stake in the ownership of the company.”
September 14, 2021
Is the Chinese Way in Peril?
In many cases, it almost always starts when a key business leader dies. The death of a founder can disrupt the very foundations of the business and the institutions where the lives of employees and the many stakeholders depend on.
September 22, 2021
Is the Chinese Succession Model In Peril? Part 2
One of the critical issues worth mentioning is the eldest son succession system which has been in existence in China for more than a thousand years.
September 28, 2021
Is your Organization Suffering from "Founderitis"?
This type of behavior is called the “founder’s syndrome” or “founderitis,” which commonly afflicts many business owners struggling between sharing major decisions and holding on to power.
October 05, 2021
Is your Organization Suffering from Founderitis? Part 2
When decisions revolve around him and he is reluctant to pursue change, the likelihood that pressure will build up from many dimensions—the family, the business, and his own mortality—escalates.
October 12, 2021
Is your Organization Suffering From Founderitis? Part 3
When change becomes inevitable because of age and health issues, founders will have a hard time adjusting to the new reality.
October 19, 2021
Is your Organization Suffering From Founderitis? Last Part
The drive to create and lead an organization. The surprising thing is that trying to maximize one imperils the achievement of the other.
October 26, 2021
Trust Your Children To Do a Good Job
My father believed that for us to appreciate the different nuances of our businesses, we had to start from the bottom and get our hands dirty. - Lance Gokongwei, President and CEO of JG Summit Group
November 03, 2021
Start Succession Planning Now!
My advice to founders is to go for early succession planning. Three years is tight, five years in advance is good, but ten years is much better.
November 10, 2021
Succession Is a Make or Break Event
With procrastination prevailing over succession, the chances of the business heading towards the path of self-destruction are high.
November 16, 2021
Founder’s Unfounded Fear
Why do the majority of these owners procrastinate and set aside the steps necessary to plan ahead? Why are they so emotionally uncomfortable in embracing the succession roadmap?
November 23, 2021
Papa Will Never Give Up Control
Death is not an easy subject to talk about, nor is retirement. But it is a subject that needs to be addressed by the family.
December 02, 2021
The Right Succession Model
Despite all these handover constraints, overall, I was delighted as this succession journey took more than five years to finally realize its significance.
December 07, 2021
Founder’s Dream: Preserving Wealth and Legacy
Having an undefined, unclear, founder-centric culture mixed with confused, entitled family members is a recipe for disaster.
December 15, 2021
Founder’s Dream: Preserving Wealth, Unity and Legacy Part 2
The family business model is a unique system fraught with emotions. It also has naturally different goals. Family members may share the same values but may have different visions of where they want the business to head.
December 22, 2021
‘Tis the Season to Repair Old Wounds
For families with a history of conflict, it is time to reflect if you will continue to be haunted by ongoing conflicts or look at this holiday season of love and forgiveness as an opportunity to repair broken relationships.
December 27, 2021
The Family Must Commit To Reconciliation
From a family governance perspective, any reconciliation process between acrimonious family members should be initiated and supported by the family.
January 04, 2022
How Do You Say Sorry to Someone Who Has Died?
Nobody wins in any emotionally charged, ego-centered, finger-pointing discussion. It is always a defeat for all parties, the entire family included, and it severely affects relationships that can translate to harmful and sometimes destructive behavior.
January 12, 2022
A Business Managed With Emotions
With the presence of additional family members (including their spouses and children), when a family business transitions and moves along its generational timeline, you can expect an explosion of personal interests clouding business judgments.
January 18, 2022
“The problem with this family is the lack of communication!”
PWC’s Amin Nasser highlights in his article, “The two greatest threats to the successful continuity of family businesses are conflict and succession. And these two critical elements are caused by a failure to communicate!”
January 24, 2022
The Dangers of Poor Communication
When you fuse these business-related conflicts with traumatic childhood experiences, the hostility spills over to real overt conflicts such as threats, intimidation, and even sabotage.
February 02, 2022
Is Family Compensation a Forbidden Topic?
It is clear that many founders instinctively based their compensation policy on the notion of what is best for the family rather than on what is best for the business. This old family compensation model must stop.
February 08, 2022
A Fair Compensation Plan For Active Family Members
By pursuing a family system (family first instead of business first) of compensating relatives that is flawed, the business leader has started a culture of entitlement.
February 15, 2022
A Fair Compensation Plan For Active Family Members Part 2
There is no longer any justification for the parent/owner to give low salaries based on the rationale that the children will eventually take over the business.
February 22, 2022
A Fair Compensation Plan For Active Family Members Part 3
Why do I espouse these ground rules? Fundamentally, the compensation conflict stems from the fact that the role of each family member was never clearly defined from the very beginning.
March 02, 2022
A Fair Compensation Plan For Active Family Members: Last Part
When the pay structure of family members remains unclear, undefined, and not explained thoroughly, the emotional element can manifest in the form of jealousy, rivalry, and conflict.
March 08, 2022
Why Do So Many Family Businesses Fail?
There is a powerful value that serves as a beacon of light for family firms, and it is a clear and collective purpose that everybody must share.
March 15, 2022
A Powerful Sense of Purpose Can Withstand Generational Challenges
I can conclusively say that the lack of communication, the absence of a shared purpose, and the false belief that family unity is paramount are the major reasons family-owned businesses do not last two or three generations.
March 22, 2022
The Lack of Meaning and Purpose is a death sentence for family firms
Is it purely because of blood and money? Collectively, are family members looking at the horizon or seeing themselves out of the business to enjoy daddy's money
March 29, 2022
Breaking a Promise To Your children
I still want to take the lead, but I also want to empower my children to make major decisions. Is it possible to do both — to step back but still be involved without overriding their decision? What if they commit major mistakes?
April 05, 2022
The Family Suffers When There is No Will to Change
Reinforcing a founder's unfounded fears such as fear of the unknown, of losing power, of failure of the next generation, and of doing nothing when he decides to step back is their paranoia of what they incessantly hear from their friends.
April 13, 2022
The Family Suffers When There is No Will to Change Part 2
Mixing family and business issues is like speeding downhill on a rain-soaked, dangerous zig-zag road using a car with defective brake pads. Having family issues in the business is always full of emotions and contains subjective decision-making.
April 20, 2022
Planning, Empowering and Committing (The PEC Way)
The PEC program I mentioned is not about forcing leaders to retire and leave the business entirely. I do not subscribe to the idea of overnight and abrupt decision to let go of power. It goes against the grain of governance.
April 27, 2022
The Inconvenient Truth
I was asked how I differentiate a healthy family enterprise from an unhealthy one. My straightforward answer was how each embraces change as it unequivocally translates governance and succession, shared purpose and alignment of vision and values.
May 04, 2022
The Inconvenient Truth Part 2
Jack recounted the day he suddenly clutched his chest after feeling tightness that radiated to the base of his neck, jaw, and left arm, recalling how if not for the quick action of his staff, he would have died.
May 11, 2022
Every Family Constitution Is Unique
Without any doubt, crafting a family constitution is one major step toward every founder’s dream and aspiration to ensure that his blood, sweat, and tears can perpetuate the business for generations to come.
May 18, 2022
The Dangers of DIY Governance
Many families lean towards DIY governance to either take a break from months of governance sessions, prioritize and focus on making money, consider costs, and gain the 'feeling' that the family is talking again.
May 25, 2022
The Generational Impact of a Family in Conflict
Sadly, when adult siblings take their issues into the legal forum, with inherent delays, high costs, and frustrations, irreparable damage to the family may be caused and it would be very difficult to restore trust.
May 31, 2022
Fight, Flight, or Mediate?
The final test of a committed and sincere family is how they can agree to disagree in a climate of trust, objectivity and relentless communication.
June 08, 2022
What drives people to declare war against their own flesh and blood?
Any legal drama will eventually morph into a public scandal where the courts and legal advisors will end up as the only clear winners.
June 15, 2022
What drives people to declare war against their own flesh and blood? Part 2
"Inheritance conflict doesn’t come out of nowhere; it is a continuation of long-term relationship problems that resurface upon the illness or death of a loved one.” – Estate Planning expert P. Mark Accettura.
June 21, 2022
Sibling Rivalry. Is it Personal or Business?
The founder/parent must lead the way in resolving the conflict. There is no other person in the family that can do it.
June 28, 2022
The Twin Evils Unique in Family Businesses
By its very nature, the family and business systems are so conjoined that when left on their own to feed, they can lead to frayed nerves, emotional conflict, and inevitably schism.
July 05, 2022
Parents' Letter to a Distraught Son
As parents, we are aware that it can be difficult to manage relationships in a family business context given the different roles we play and the confusion it at times creates without clear boundaries between these roles.
July 13, 2022
Parents’ Letter to their Distraught Son Part 2
Regarding the lack of open communication that's unfortunately common between parents and their children, we believe that both parties should do more to address this.
July 20, 2022
Parent’s Letter To Their Distraught Son: Integrity and Commitment
The most successful family businesses that have lasted for many generations are effective in drawing boundaries between two distinct areas – the family side and the business side.
July 27, 2022
Stop Building A Business. Start Building Your Legacy
In any governance and succession journey, every founder must realize that the greater good philosophy must and will always prevail.
August 03, 2022
Successful Succession: A Founder's Test of Greatness
Management expert Peter Drucker once said, "The final test of greatness in a founder is how well he chooses a successor and whether he can step aside and let his successor run the company."
August 09, 2022
Avoid Transforming Petty Conflict To Hatred and Hostility
“Every family business is unique and complex in its own way, so boilerplate solutions don’t always work. Still, there are common rules of engagement for handling employees who are related by blood or marriage.”
August 16, 2022
‘The trouble is, you think you have time.’
There may not be any ‘later’ for us to do the thing we decided to put off, so to amplify my advice to all family business leaders, start the journey now.
August 24, 2022
Giving the Next Generation Leader Wings
Roby, a second-generation family member, was rotated by his father among the various departments of their business.
August 31, 2022
Giving the Next Generation Leader Wings Part 2
Every founder’s dream is to watch their children grow up to become responsible adults, eventually join the business, and work as a team to ensure the business becomes successful, but, 7 of 10 family-owned businesses do not make it to the third generation.
September 07, 2022
Why Do Siblings Fight for Control and Money?
United families that are successful and less prone to conflict have these three things: (1) a unifying goal, (2) open and formal communication, (3) leaders that are smart enough to think about the next generation.
September 14, 2022
Whose Fault is it When Siblings Fight in the Business?
Almost 60% of our intervention as an ASEAN family business advisor happens to be sibling rivalry, especially among offspring that work together whose tensions are “rooted in conflict over business styles and strategies rather than family emotions.”
September 20, 2022
The Deadly Cost of Weak Governance: Business Failure and Family Conflict
Why do petty conflicts often morph into sibling rivalries? The blame falls squarely on the leader either for choosing the “Do Nothing” option or carelessly selecting an unqualified, inexperienced family consultant.
September 27, 2022
Is Your Family Qualified to have a Family Constitution?
Flawed family constitutions are usually made of completed agreements and signed documents that are never enforced, enhanced, and implemented, making them just some useless piece of paper.
October 04, 2022
The Dangers of Hiring an Inexperienced Family Consultant
Succession is daunting and challenging and will require emotional acceptance from the leader that the time has come to lead this very critical and significant milestone in the life of the enterprise.
October 12, 2022
The Non-Negotiable Qualities of an Experienced Family Consultant
As the founder/manager of a 35-year-old construction business who went through an open-heart surgery, Rey became fearful of what might have happened if he did not survive the ordeal.
October 19, 2022
The Benefits of an Experienced Family Business Consultant
A consultant’s task is to amplify a very important message: that governance, succession, family harmony, and legacy go hand in hand.
October 25, 2022
A Founder’s Spectacular Failure!
Take note: a company is only as good or bad as its leaders, so the real fault lies in those who run them.
November 02, 2022
A Founder’s Spectacular Failure! Part 2
This second article will highlight the visible symptoms of internal wrongdoing, mismanagement, and failed leadership by a very controlling founder
November 08, 2022
Spectacular Failure! Hubris, the Silent Killer of Business Last Part
Any corporate transition must be deliberate since many enterprises typically start as informal mom-and-pop businesses.
November 15, 2022
The Single Worst Mistake Business Owners Make: DOING NOTHING!
The failure of the leader to set the rules of engagement early on can inevitably spark next-generation conflict.
November 23, 2022
Entitlement Can Destroy a Family Enterprise
Without a doubt, the fault lies with the founders/parents/owners. They play a major part in cultivating entitled family members
November 29, 2022
Affluence + Influence = Entitlement: The Red Bull Scion Story
Parents/Owners/Operators must be firm and should play the part of business owners rather than parents. Mixing the two hats in a business environment is a recipe for having entitled children.
December 06, 2022
A Lifetime of Entitlement: The Red Bull Scion Story
Entitlement issues are rampant in family enterprises. It is a dangerous disease that can damage the family business.
December 14, 2022
Having Entitled Family Members Is Plain Wrong!
One thing is clear, having entitled family members is a clear and present danger.
December 20, 2022
'Someday This Business Will Be Yours'
When your children grow up believing that they will own the business no matter what they do or how they act, an entitlement mindset is conditioned at an early age.
December 29, 2022
When Blood Becomes a Birthright
For the new year, it is appropriate and timely to reinforce to one and all that raising non-entitled children (and grandchildren)
January 04, 2023
Preventing Entitlement Starts With Good Parenting
There are many ways to prevent children from becoming entitled. The most effective approach is through role modeling and communication.
January 10, 2023
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Tagged "black sheep" family members are indeed quite a character.
January 24, 2023
The Consequences of being an Absentee Father (Mother)
As an exasperated parent-founder once said, "It is easier to run a conglomerate with thousands of executives, but it is far more difficult managing an offspring." But why do 'black sheep' family members really exist?
January 31, 2023
Is It Fair to Divide Your Wealth Equally?
The question that begs to be answered is: “Is giving equal ownership really fair, or is fairness in the context of wealth transfer never equal?”
February 07, 2023
Giving Your Children Equal Compensation Is Wrong
Conflict is normal in family businesses, but the unresolved ones classified as excessive can ultimately create damage and instability that, when not constructively dealt with, can open a prolific source of deep-seated problems like a pandora's box.
February 15, 2023
Poorly Crafted Family Compensation Policy is Divisive
Without understanding the concept of compensation, the children may end up disillusioned, confused, frustrated, and constantly asking why their salaries are equal.
February 21, 2023
A Tale of Two Siblings Fighting a Lost Cause
Conflicts in life are unpleasant. It destroys relationships and zaps the energy of individuals and their families, so many families try to avoid conflict at all costs, which is a big mistake.
March 01, 2023
50/50 Estate Split is a Double-Edged Sword: A Parent’s Dilemma
With the businesses going full throttle, the couple became worried that if they gave the business to son B, which seemed fair to do, they would not have any means to treat son A equally, which seemed unfair to him.
March 08, 2023
50/50 Estate Split is a Double-Edged Sword Part 2
Splitting assets and shares of the family business between your children can be tricky as it puts to the test the parent owners’ fairness to everybody
March 15, 2023
50/50 Estate Split is a Double-Edged Sword Part 2
Splitting assets and shares of the family business between your children can be tricky
March 15, 2023
You Can Never Manage Your Business From The Grave
The stakes are high, the consequences of a wrong decision are devastating
March 21, 2023
Rights of the Next Generation's Spouses
As a family business grows and is passed on to the children, concerns arise regarding the rights of the next-generation family members and their spouses to own and control the company.
March 29, 2023
When Shares Are Carelessly Passed On To In-Laws
Having in-laws owning shares in a family business has challenges
April 12, 2023
How to Effectively Manage In-Laws Last Part
If you really believe that in-laws deserve to be future shareholders, it is absolutely necessary that clear policies and procedures must be in place for in-law employment, share ownership
May 17, 2023
Advantages and Disadvantages of Family Members Working in the Family Business
In my experience mentoring next-generation successors, their biggest handicap is that they were never exposed to work in the real world.
May 23, 2023
The Advantages of Family Members Working in the Family Business
All businesses face challenges and family-owned businesses are not immune to these, but by the very nature of a family business structure, there are also unique sets of opportunities that family businesses can take advantage of.
May 31, 2023
Did You Hire Your Children Based on Talent or Birthright?
As a founder, did you consider talent or base your decision solely on birthright when you appointed family members? Was the last name of your son or daughter the sole reason? Was it purely trust? Would you have done it any other way?
June 06, 2023
Rules for Eliminating Nepotism in the Family Business
When employing people who are related to the founder, either by blood or marriage, it should always be based on the following non-negotiable metrics: outside experience, credentials, exceptional work in the past, and merit.
June 14, 2023
The Real Dangers of Nepotism in Family-Run Businesses
Why has nepotism gained more attention? The number of family businesses today is growing, and so is the awareness of the negative effects of nepotism prevalent in the context of a family business
June 21, 2023
If You Can't Avoid Nepotism, Set the Rules of Engagement
Family members in leadership positions should lead by example, demonstrating professionalism, competence, and a commitment to the success of the business
June 28, 2023
Family Before Fortune
Family Before Fortune
June 30, 2023
Family Business Covenants Against Nepotism
Regardless of blood relations, employment should never be guaranteed
July 04, 2023
Wealth Will Not Last Two Generations Part 1
"Transferring wealth to your children can be dangerous if not done thoughtfully and responsibly." - Prof. Enrique Soriano
July 18, 2023
Is Inherited Wealth Evil?
Oftentimes, children of affluent parents have not had time to establish their own identities separate from the wealth and status of the business.
July 19, 2023
A Founder's Adversity Quotient
Armed with nothing but grit, founders experience firsthand the struggles and setbacks that come with creating something from nothing, which hones them into extraordinary entrepreneurs with unmatched AQ.
July 24, 2023
Wealth Will Not Last Two Generations: The Consequences of a Low AQ
It is a fact that many next-generation family members have a Low Adversity Quotient (AQ). Consequently, when next-generation successors have low AQ, there is a significant risk that the business they inherit will suffer.
August 01, 2023
The Significance of Strategic Planning in Family-Owned Businesses
In a recent strategic planning session for a family-owned business, powerful questions emerged: 'Why are we in Business Together?' and 'Where do we want the business to be in 3 years and 5 years?'
August 09, 2023
The Dangerous Mindset of Many Next-Generation Leaders
What will it take for the next generation to break the cycle of adopting detrimental behavioral patterns and mindsets?
August 16, 2023
A Fail-Proof Succession Starts with Your Successors AQ
Often overshadowed by the larger, publicly traded corporations, family businesses operated quietly, keeping their successes and struggles within the family circle, but the landscape is changing rapidly.
August 23, 2023
From Comfort Zone to Resilience: A Next-Gen Transformative Journey
In my extensive experience helping families in Asia, the concept of Adversity Quotient (AQ) has emerged as a pivotal metric for assessing an individual's capacity to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity.
August 30, 2023
Succession Planning: The Cornerstone of Family Business Legacy and Prosperity
In family enterprises, a sobering truth prevails: With each generational transition, the odds of a company's survival diminish.
September 06, 2023
Fair Should Not Be Equal in a Family-Owned Business
Enforcing strict equality within a family-owned business can pose significant challenges, especially because family members often bring varying levels of expertise, experience, and commitment to the table.
October 12, 2023
From Family-First Leadership to Meritocracy: It's Time to Shift Part 2
His father's passing thrusts him into the role of President, a position that always seemed destined for him, but as he embarks on critical operational decisions, questions that echo through family business corridors are raised.
October 24, 2023
The Aimee and Allan Sibling Conflict, Solved! Last Part
Even siblings with harmonious childhoods can face rivalry in the professional realm due to the unique challenges a family business presents.
November 29, 2023
Founders Must Lead The Way! Part 1
In an evolving and growing family business, the key to sustained success is for the founder to recognize that the business is now a team sport, where cohesion and collaboration are paramount to winning games.
February 06, 2024
Entitled Family Members Can Undermine Business Success (Part 1)
Stewardship is the key to ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of family-owned businesses. In contrast, entitled family members can pose a significant threat to business stability.
February 20, 2024
A Hidden Crisis: 90% of Directors Are Unaware of Their Fiduciary Duties!
The intricate dynamics of familial relationships can complicate decision-making processes as they may pose a threat to the family members' commitment to their fiduciary obligations.
March 20, 2024
Upholding Non-Negotiable Values: Humility, Discipline, and Respect
As founders and mentors, we observe with deep concern the gradual erosion of humility, discipline, and respect among the next generation of leaders—a trend that threatens the very essence of our businesses.
April 03, 2024
Why Many Chinese Family Businesses Fade by the Third Generation
This shift in societal norms and values has led to changes in family dynamics, as younger generations may have different priorities, lifestyles, and career aspirations compared to their predecessors.
May 06, 2024
Why Many Chinese Family Businesses Fade by the Third Generation? Part 2
While it may be tempting to blame the founder for these disputes, the reality is often more complex.
May 13, 2024
Why Family-Owned Businesses Struggle?
Leadership Transition: Passing the baton to the next generation is a complex process.
May 20, 2024
Taming Family Business Drama: Enforce the Rules
We must recognize that there are different types of family members involved in the business.
May 28, 2024
The Crucial Role of a Family Code of Conduct
The B family’s experience illustrates the crucial role of a family code of conduct in managing family-owned businesses.
June 04, 2024
The Powerful Role of Your Family Code of Conduct: The B Family Case Study
A Family Code of Conduct is simply a set of 5 R's that institutionalizes rules and regulates family behavior in and outside the enterprise.
June 11, 2024
The Powerful Role of Your Family Code of Conduct
The transition from the first to the second and then to the third generation can further increase both the number of owners and the diversity of their ambitions for the business.
June 20, 2024
Effective Ways of Dealing with Cousin/Shareholders in Family Businesses
As family businesses transition to the 3rd and 4th generations, they face a unique set of challenges. More family members—cousins, nephews, nieces—join the business, bringing diverse expectations, dispersed ownership, and a need for fair processes.
June 25, 2024
Effective Ways of Dealing with Cousin/Shareholders in Family Businesses Part 2
Establishing formal governance structures early on was one of the critical steps the family took. They created a family constitution, a family council, and a shareholder agreement.
July 03, 2024
Effective Ways of Dealing with Cousin/Shareholders in Family Businesses: Last Part
Moreover, balancing the drive to make money with the need for sound governance is critical. While financial success is important, it should not overshadow the importance of family harmony and long-term sustainability.
July 09, 2024
Is Accumulating Wealth More Important than Creating Lasting Memories?
"When a business owner dies or becomes permanently disabled, the business itself may die or be permanently disabled—not because something wrong was done, but because nothing was done!"
July 17, 2024
True Legacy Starts With Being a Good Parent
Many founders have worked tirelessly to build their businesses from the ground up, often sacrificing family time for financial success. However, in a century, the homes and possessions we fight so hard to acquire will belong to strangers.
July 22, 2024
Balancing Parenthood and Entrepreneurship. The Journey of Founder M
The stories of entrepreneurs like M demonstrate that it is possible to find a balance between building a successful business and being a good parent.
July 29, 2024
Family Wealth Preservation Will Ensure a Lasting Legacy
Family wealth preservation is not just about financial security; it's about creating a lasting legacy that upholds the family's core values and principles.
August 06, 2024
Part 1: The Japanese Model of Family Business Succession: A Tradition of Longevity
The concept of long-term, generational succession is deeply rooted in Japanese society, and this practice has allowed many Japanese companies to thrive across centuries.
August 20, 2024
Part 2 "Better to Have Daughters than Sons, for then I can choose my Sons"
In the second installment of our series on family business succession, we explore the Mukoyoshi practice—a uniquely Japanese approach with universal lessons.
August 27, 2024
Will the Mukoyoshi Model Work in China and Asia?
In Chinese culture, the succession of leadership within family businesses is deeply rooted in the principle of passing the mantle to the eldest son or a close male family member.
September 03, 2024
Beyond Japan: Global Implications of Strategic Succession
While Mukoyoshi is uniquely Japanese, its core principles—meritocracy, long-term vision, and flexibility in succession planning—are universally applicable.
September 10, 2024
A Steward's Perspective: Think Beyond Ownership
At the heart of this responsibility is a distinction between ownership and stewardship. While ownership is often seen as control and possession, stewardship calls for a deeper commitment.
September 21, 2024
What is more important---Ownership vs. Stewardship? Part 1
At its core, ownership is about rights—the right to make decisions, distribute profits, and direct the course of the business. Stewardship, however, is about responsibility.
September 24, 2024
Ownership vs. Stewardship: Shaping the Future of Family Businesses Part 2
This practice highlights Japan's belief in stewardship over inheritance, prioritizing the business’s longevity and success over personal entitlement.
October 01, 2024
From Heirs to Leaders: Why Developing Leadership in Family Businesses is Essential for Long-Term Success
A successor is someone who takes on the role of leadership—often due to bloodline, familial obligations, or company bylaws. However, being a leader requires much more than simply being the designated heir.
October 08, 2024
Developing Leaders, Not Just Successors, in Family Businesses (Part 2)
In this article, we delve deeper into the essential components that turn potential successors into capable, resilient leaders: mentorship, emotional intelligence, values-driven leadership, and resilience.
October 16, 2024
Developing Leaders, Not Just Successors, in Family Businesses Last Part
The journey of leadership development is not just about passing the torch but also about equipping successors with the skills, emotional intelligence, and experience they need to thrive.
October 24, 2024
Don’t Be Like Dad! A Succession and Leadership Challenge
In many family businesses, the founder’s leadership is central to the company’s identity and success.
October 30, 2024
Don't Be Like Dad! Part 2: A Case Study on Evolving Leadership in a Family Business
This second part examines a real-world example of a family business operating in the Asia Pacific region where these challenges surfaced in full...
November 06, 2024
Weathering the Storm: Guiding Family-Owned Businesses Through 2025’s Challenges
Family businesses have weathered storms before, but the complexity of today’s challenges calls for a renewed focus on resilience.
November 19, 2024
Part 1: Thriving Through Turbulence: How CEOs Can Navigate 2025’s Headwinds
As organizations brace for the uncertainties of 2025, CEOs must focus on controllable internal factors. Prioritizing People ensures resilience, while streamlining Processes builds agility and operational efficiency.
November 27, 2024
Part 2: It’s a Turbulent World Out There! Are You an Effective CEO?
Navigating 2025’s uncertainties demands proactive leadership. By emphasizing Product, Productivity, and Profit, CEOs can safeguard their organizations' relevance, efficiency, and financial stability.
December 02, 2024
Leading into 2025: Top 5 Qualities of an Effective CEO
The qualities of an effective CEO in 2025—focusing on value over price, service excellence, innovation, people development, and structural sustainability—are interconnected. Together, they create a roadmap for resilience and growth in an uncertain future.
December 09, 2024
Strategic Leadership 2025: Becoming the CEO Your Business Needs
The challenges organizations face are multifaceted, demanding tailored solutions to help them thrive in a competitive and rapidly evolving market landscape.
December 16, 2024
A Century of Legacy – Building the Foundations of Enduring Family Enterprises
At the heart of every 100-year family enterprise is an unwavering commitment to shared values and purpose. These values serve as the glue that binds the family, even in moments of conflict or uncertainty.
December 23, 2024
When Wealth Breeds Conflict: Governance as the Key to Family Business Survival
While the allure of growth and profit is undeniable, focusing solely on business expansion at the expense of family unity and governance can have devastating consequences.
January 02, 2025
We Have a Constitution, So Why Are We Still Fighting?
Family businesses are often built on legacies, relationships, and dreams, serving as the foundation for multi-generational success.
January 06, 2025
Why Reluctance to Enforce Governance Can Destroy Family Harmony
Governance requires consistency and discipline, even when emotions come into play. Without enforcement, a family constitution becomes an empty promise, leading to fractured relationships and a vulnerable business.
January 13, 2025
The Danger of Equal Division in a Family Business
While dividing shares equally among heirs may seem like a gesture of fairness, it often leads to dysfunction and discord. Equal ownership fails to account for the differing levels of commitment, competency, and interest among family members.
January 21, 2025
Is it Equal, Equitable or Merit-based Share Transfer?
By creating a well-defined framework, family businesses can mitigate potential conflicts and ensure that ownership transitions are purposeful and equitable.
January 28, 2025
The Danger of Equal Division of Shares Part 2
Family businesses must develop a transparent, formalized process that specifies who will receive shares, under what circumstances, and with what qualifications.
February 04, 2025
Ownership of Shares: A Source of Conflict or a Testament of Love?
In Asia, and particularly within Confucian-influenced cultures, the act of passing down wealth and business ownership to the next generation is seen as both a privilege and a duty.
February 11, 2025
Why Selling Shares to Your Children is the Right Thing to Do Part 1
Traditionally, family business shares are transferred as an inheritance, gifted freely to children as a sign of love and responsibility.
February 18, 2025
Why Selling Shares to Your Children is the Right Thing to Do Last Part
Selling shares to children is not about withholding love or burdening them with unnecessary financial obligations—it is about instilling responsibility, fostering financial discipline, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the business.
February 25, 2025
Beyond Wealth: Why Leadership Succession Matters More Than Profit
History is filled with families who built vast fortunes, only to see them squandered in a single generation due to a lack of leadership preparation. It is not enough to pass down shares or assets—you must pass down stewardship.
March 04, 2025
The Real Threat to Family Businesses: Neglecting Succession and Governance
Ownership is not a birthright; it carries responsibility. As a founder, ensuring financial security is not enough. The long-term survival of the business depends on preparing the next generation to be responsible stewards, not just heirs.
March 11, 2025
If something happens to you today, will your business survive without you?
A smooth succession happens when the next generation is trained, tested, and ready—not when they’re forced into leadership unprepared.
March 18, 2025
The Founder’s Deepest Regret
In the relentless pursuit of success, founders and business leaders often fall into the trap of measuring life’s worth by tangible assets.
March 25, 2025
When Founders Step Down but Never Step Away
Founders are visionaries, builders, and decision-makers. They have spent decades shaping their businesses, making sacrifices, and defining success on their own terms. So, when the time comes to step down, many find the transition unbearable.
April 01, 2025
Succession Without Safeguards: Learning From Donald Trump’s Turmoil
In the absence of structured governance and proactive succession planning, even the most successful family business can unravel with terrifying speed.
April 08, 2025
Governance Built Early is Governance That Lasts — A Vital Lesson from the Trump Chaos
The Trump experience is a stark reminder: when power transfers without preparation, chaos fills the vacuum. For family businesses, the lesson is clear. Build governance when you still have time, authority, and clarity of vision.
April 15, 2025
When Legacy Dies with the Dreamer: A Wake-Up Call for Founders
Governance is not just a business tool. It’s a form of love, stewardship, and foresight. It’s about documenting your vision, involving successors early, clarifying roles, and institutionalizing decision-making.
April 22, 2025
Countdown to Legacy: Your 5 Final Summers to Lead, Let Go, and Last Forever
This year, you must declare your decision that you are stepping back from day-to-day operations. That you would like to devote your time preparing for the future.
April 29, 2025
Your Last Five Summers: Control or Continuity. The Ayala Transition Part 2
By the third summer—if you have walked the hard paths of legacy reflection and successor selection—you now stand at the most defining moment in your leadership journey: Letting go.
May 06, 2025
Legacy Is Earned, Not Inherited: A Founder’s Vote for the Greater Good
In family enterprises, succession is not merely a familial concern; it's a strategic business decision that determines the company's longevity and legacy. The process demands objectivity, foresight, and, often, the courage to look beyond bloodlines.
May 13, 2025
Part 1: The Idiot Son (or Daughter)
Family enterprises must evolve from a culture of entitlement to one of meritocracy. This means putting people in roles because they are qualified, not because they share DNA with the founder.
May 20, 2025
When Power Becomes Poison: The Fall of Political and Family Dynasties
Family enterprises often begin with purpose and sacrifice. Visionary founders build from scratch, powered by grit and innovation.
May 27, 2025
The Icarus Parable and the Peril of Entitled Leadership
When power is inherited without humility, leadership devolves into dominance, and control replaces accountability, even the most celebrated founders or successors risk collapse.
June 03, 2025
When Tragedy Strikes — The Cost of Unpreparedness
Many patriarchs believe only they can safeguard the business they built. Letting go feels like inviting chaos. Ironically, this paralysis becomes the very threat they sought to avoid.
June 10, 2025
When a Narcissist Leads a Family Business
Narcissism in family business doesn’t start with ego—it starts with overprotection. When successors are groomed without exposure to hardship, without experiencing the consequences of failure, they develop a fragile sense of invincibility.
June 17, 2025
Inside the Mind of a Narcissistic Successor
In Olivia’s case, the family's culture of deference became the enabler of its imminent downfall. Her nephew’s unchecked power, fueled by entitlement and emotional manipulation, effectively dismantled what generations built.
June 24, 2025
How Governance Prevents Narcissists from Taking Over
Let’s be clear: family businesses are not just about profits—they’re about people. Bonds, shared stories, unspoken trust. But what happens when one of those people turns toxic?
July 01, 2025
Entitlement in the Next Generation – When Parental Love Becomes a Liability
The most insidious driver of entitlement is guilt. Many founders, having missed birthdays, graduations, and family moments in the name of business growth, try to compensate by giving their children everything—except their time.
July 08, 2025
Conditioned to Inherit, Not to Lead: The Pervasive Entitlement Trap
In many Asian families, wealth peaks with the founding generation (G1). Without deliberate action, it often declines by G3 or G4—a reality echoed in the adage: “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.”
July 15, 2025
Governance is Love in Structured Form
The lesson is clear: do not wait for a crisis to force change. Governance isn’t an emergency measure, like a fire extinguisher brought out when flames erupt.
July 22, 2025
Beyond Entitlement: Building a Legacy of Stewardship
Ultimately, preserving a legacy isn’t just about assets or titles. It’s about transmitting values, nurturing purpose, and preparing the next generation to become responsible stewards, not mere heirs.
July 29, 2025
Mentoring Successors: Transforming Privilege into Stewardship
Adrian’s story carries a universal message: entitlement kills stewardship. Comfort can dull urgency, and the desire to “prove something” can breed shortcuts.
August 05, 2025
Part 2 Drive Without Discipline: The Mid-Life Successor’s Crossroads
If the 20s to early 30s successors often struggle with comfort and entitlement, the mid-30s to mid-40s group presents an almost opposite yet equally complex challenge: they are intensely driven, opportunistic, and deeply entrepreneurial...
August 12, 2025
The Stewardship Imperative: Transforming Heirs into Leaders
For founders, the message is clear: your deepest act of love is not holding power, but trusting successors. Clinging too long breeds apathy, division, and ultimately, the destruction of what you built.
August 19, 2025
Divided We Fall: When Families Do Not Have a Shared Purpose
Charles’ story underscores a truth many family enterprises overlook: a business can have the clearest Vision, Mission, and Values, yet still unravel without a shared family vision and purpose.
August 26, 2025
The Lost Compass. Why Family Enterprises Do Not Last Three Generations
Rules cannot replace purpose. Constitutions define the how; a shared Family VMV defines the why. Without it, rules become walls, not bridges—and even exemplary governance cannot prevent drift, rivalry, and eventual fragmentation.
September 02, 2025
From Seed Shop to $96.5B Giant: CP Group’s Succession Journey
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), CP’s journey holds a powerful lesson: size is not the starting point—purpose is.
September 09, 2025
Weathering the Storm: CP Group’s Crisis, Renewal, and Shared Purpose
The CP story demonstrates that succession is not just about passing ownership—it is about transmitting purpose. Without it, crises divide. With it, crises unite.
September 16, 2025
Corruption in Family Business: Lessons from the Flood Control Outrage
What we see in governments plagued by corruption often mirrors what occurs in families who inherit wealth and enterprises but fail to establish governance rules.
September 23, 2025
Part 2: Corruption in Family Business: Lessons from the Flood Control Outrage
The lesson from both government corruption and family businesses is stark: silence is complicity. Turning a blind eye to conflict of interest is the fastest way to destroy wealth and unity.
September 30, 2025
Part 3 Conflict of Interest: The Silent Killer of Family Enterprises
Conflict of interest often starts small, hidden under the guise of “family privilege,” but its impact compounds over time.
October 07, 2025
Are You Betraying Your Family Enterprise?
True stewardship demands vigilance over even the smallest conflicts of interest. Governance is not just about rules—it’s about respect for what the family has built together.
October 14, 2025
From Constitution to Decoration: Signed, Sealed… Shelved!
What many fail to realize is that the signing is just the beginning. The Constitution is not a “cure all” document—it is a framework that demands continuous activation. It must be reviewed, tested, and lived.
October 21, 2025
The Dangers of a Family Constitution Without Enforcement
The cost of non-enforcement is not measured in money—it’s measured in trust. Every time a family ignores the Constitution, it teaches the next generation that promises are optional.
October 28, 2025
Bringing Your Constitution Back to Life
It’s never too late to correct course. What matters is not how long the Constitution has gathered dust, but how determined the family is to breathe life back into it.
November 04, 2025
The Case of the Founder Who Waited Too Long
In our W+B Advisory research, fewer than 30 percent of Asian business owners have a succession plan. That means 70 percent of founders are gambling with their life’s work, hoping fate will give them more time.
November 11, 2025
The 100-Year Blueprint: The Founder’s Essential Must-Do’s
If you are a business leader between the ages of 60 and 65, you now enter the most decisive stage of your leadership journey. These years determine whether your business survives another decade or endures a century.
November 18, 2025
Shaping the Next Generation Through Strategy and Accountability
As families prepare for the uncertainties that 2026 may bring, governance becomes the stabilizing compass aligning performance with purpose and ambition with responsibility.
November 25, 2025
Part 1: A Letter to the Next Generation
Too many next-generation leaders unconsciously operate from entitlement. They expect loyalty without demonstrating competence. They desire authority without establishing credibility.
December 02, 2025
Part I When Is Enough, Enough? A Letter to Founders Who Cannot Let Go
Many founders, even in their twilight years, operate as if the business cannot survive without their daily involvement. They believe that passing the baton is tantamount to abandoning their life’s work.
December 09, 2025
Part II: The One Asset Even Founders Cannot Rebuild is Time
The tragedy is not that founders stay involved—but that they stay involved too long, solving problems that no longer require their genius, while postponing a life that still has meaning beyond the boardroom.
December 16, 2025
An Open Letter to Founders This Holiday Season
Many within the next generation, including grandchildren, and those who marry into the family, are experiencing the rewards of wealth without fully understanding its origins.
December 23, 2025
The Silent Risk of “Guaranteed” Dividends to Family Members
History is filled with family enterprises weakened not by competition, but by internal extraction. Cash that should have strengthened the business was diverted to maintain lifestyles. Dividends replaced discipline. Tradition replaced judgment.
December 31, 2025
2026 Business Survival: What Owners Must Fix Now
When businesses come under pressure, owners instinctively chase revenue. Yet many companies fail not because sales are insufficient, but because cost structures, capital decisions, and leadership discipline are misaligned.
January 06, 2026
Beyond Cost-Cutting: A 2026 Playbook for Owners and CEOs
This year, uncertainty will no longer be a temporary phase. It will likely be the operating environment. Margins will be tighter. Capital will be more expensive. Talent will be harder to retain and source. Customers will be more cautious.
January 13, 2026
CEO’s Must Lead with Discipline in 2026
Whether a company employs 20 people or 20,000, the challenges of 2026 remain the same: cash pressure, cost discipline, uncertainty, and leadership fatigue.
January 20, 2026
2026 Will Not Be Business as Usual — But Businesses Can Still Win
In stable times, businesses can afford distractions. In 2026, focus becomes a competitive advantage. Leaders must ask hard questions: Which products truly make money? Which customers really matter?
January 27, 2026
Confidence Without Preparation: A Next-Generation Leadership Trap
History shows that markets do not wait for certainty. Crises rarely announce themselves neatly. Leaders who insist on clarity before acting often discover that clarity arrives too late.
February 03, 2026
The Making of an Effective Next-Generation CEO
The most effective next-generation CEOs also learn to separate identity from role. Being the founder’s child or successor does not grant immunity from uncertainty. If anything, it demands greater humility, discipline, and preparation.
February 10, 2026
Inheritance Is Not Qualification: Why Some Next-Gen CEOs Fail the Leadership Test
A CEO role is not a ceremonial inheritance. It is a performance mandate. Yet some successors approach leadership as an extension of comfort rather than a commitment to growth. They avoid difficult conversations. They defer hard restructuring decisions.
February 17, 2026
The Hidden Risk of Unqualified Family Executives
A founder, guided by trust and parental confidence, places siblings into senior management positions. On paper, the structure appears harmonious. In practice, standards begin to diverge.
February 24, 2026
The Hard Truth for Founders: Not Every Sibling—or Cousin—Is Ready to Lead
When trust is not reinforced by structure, even well-intentioned appointments can weaken the organization over time.
March 03, 2026
The World Is Changing. Is the Next Generation Ready?
The next phase of global competition will reward enterprises that demonstrate three capabilities: strategic foresight, disciplined capital allocation, and leadership capable of navigating uncertainty.
March 10, 2026
The Next Generation’s Leadership Test
This is the moment when founders will quietly observe the next generation more closely than ever before. Not because they doubt their children or relatives, but because they understand the stakes.
March 17, 2026
When Oil Shocks the System: A Leadership Test for Organizations
What most organizations underestimate is this: More than 95% of everything we touch, eat, wear, and use involves crude oil. This is not merely a consumer insight. It is a construction and property industry reality.
March 24, 2026
Leadership Will Be Exposed—And Not Everyone Will Be Ready
Leadership credibility cannot be inherited. It is forged when uncertainty forces leaders to act before clarity arrives. And when that moment comes, the organization will quickly discover whether it has a leader—or merely someone occupying the role.
March 31, 2026
Conflict Is Not the Enemy. Silence Is: A Post-Lenten Reflection
In the world of family businesses, silence is often mistaken for strength. Many believe that avoiding difficult conversations preserves harmony. In reality, it does the opposite.
April 07, 2026
Directors Are Not Dealmakers
The boardroom is not an extension of ownership, nor is it a platform for personal business. It is a place of stewardship. To serve as a director is to carry fiduciary responsibility—one that requires independence, discipline, and sound judgment.
April 21, 2026
Why Family Boards Collapse: Power Without Accountability (Part 1)
Effective governance begins with clarity of role. A shareholder has a voice. A director carries responsibility. A family member carries relationships. These roles must not be confused.
April 28, 2026
Why Family Boards Collapse: Power Without Accountability (Part 2)
In many family enterprises, Board composition is driven less by competence and more by structure. Birth order, ownership percentage, and family expectations often determine who sits at the table.
May 05, 2026
"We are Okay" Are the Three Most Dangerous Words in Family Business
Governance is not a bureaucratic exercise. It is the system that transforms a family from a group of individuals with shared history into a team with shared purpose.
May 12, 2026
Part 1 Board Seats by Birthright: How to Spot Unqualified Directors
This is one of the most dangerous yet sensitive realities in family businesses today: Board seats inherited through birthright rather than earned through readiness and stewardship.
May 19, 2026
