Passing the Baton

A Blueprint for Multi-Generational Success

For many years, succession in family enterprises was framed as a baton pass: identify the successor, transfer authority, move forward.

As families grow more complex — with overlapping generations, broader ownership, and longer careers — that model no longer captures what continuity actually requires.

Part 1 of The UHNW Institute’s new whitepaper, A Blueprint for Multi-Generational Success, explores a structural shift from “one” to “many.” 

Governance expands beyond a single successor to create pathways for broader participation and shared leadership capacity.

What has become increasingly clear in my own work is that structural redesign alone is not enough. Expanding participation requires readiness to develop in parallel across generations. Rising leaders gain confidence through real responsibility and reflection. Senior leaders build confidence in letting go as they observe judgment forming in real time.

When families approach readiness as something cultivated together rather than evaluated from above, transitions feel less abrupt. Continuity becomes less about choosing the right person and more about strengthening the capacity of the system to think and decide together over time.

Looking forward to the March 26 roundtable conversation.

Read Part One here

Russ Haworth, Bryn Monahan, Amelia Renkert-Thomas, Daniel Trimarchi, Meredith Thomas Straight

#FamilyGovernance, #FamilyBusiness, #LeadershipTransitions, #SuccessionPlanning