In every family enterprise, there comes a moment when a rising-gen leader needs more than advice, they need a place to think. The most powerful mentoring relationships involve thoughtful conversations where a rising leader can think out loud, test ideas, and explore the internal conflicts that shape their decisions. In my experience, what rising-gen leaders want most is a place to strengthen their own judgment. Someone who listens closely, helps them see patterns, and encoura

I’m grateful to the editors at  FamilyBusiness.Org  for publishing my new article on how leadership readiness develops across generations in enterprising families. In conversations with founders and senior leaders, I often hear a quiet tension: a desire to prepare the next generation for greater responsibility while also protecting the principles and decisions that built the enterprise.  On the other side, rising leaders often want to contribute more, but aren’t always sure h

In working with enterprising families, the hardest challenges rarely begin with strategy or governance. They begin with relationship patterns that quietly repeat across generations. At  The Family Firm Institute - FFI 's Global Conference,  Doug Baumoel , of  Continuity Family Business Consulting  and explored how advisors can help families surface and work with underlying dichotomies such as entrepreneurism vs. parenting, control vs. autonomy, and loyalty vs. self-expression

Collaboration can make or break leadership in family enterprises and family offices. Even with strong governance structures, it’s often...