Our Latest Articles

May 18, 2026 - Issue #167

How Leaders Can Transfer Their Great Instincts to Successors A leader's tacit knowledge can make the company more successful, but it's a challenge to understand what's behind it or how to pass it down to next-gens.

The Hidden Fault Lines That Threaten Family Enterprises From death and divorce to disruption and disrepute: these 12 hidden risks can weaken family enterprises over time.

Inside the Family Business Boardroom: How Better Meetings Lead to Better Decisions Board effectiveness isn’t just about who sits at the table—it’s about what happens during the meeting. Research reveals the hidden dynamics shaping family business decisions.

Helping Daughters Become Successful Family Business Leaders Daughters can become strong and credible successors when families involve them early, clarify authority, support professional development, and make room for new models of leadership.

Four Strategy Tools Every Small Business Owner Should Know Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT analysis, customer value propositions, and unit economics are not just for big companies.

Strong Family Businesses Think Short Term and Long Term at the Same Time In a crisis, family firms cannot afford to focus only on immediate survival or future legacy. The most resilient ones do both, drawing on past lessons, trusted relationships, and long-standing networks.

The Hidden Branding Risk for Family Businesses: The Family Becomes the Brand Research shows that when families promote their role in a business, stakeholders judge not only the company but also the family itself.

Too Much Advice Hurts Leader Decision-Making Founders and leaders often seek outside advice to reduce uncertainty, but conflicting counsel can create hesitation instead. Here’s how to turn advice into usable input without losing judgment, speed, or focus.

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AI Is Not Just About Speed -- It's About Smarter Business Decisions

Family Businesses Must Prepare for the Unthinkable

How Families Can Override Emotions to Make Better Judgments

What the Public Gets Wrong About Family Businesses

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Recent

How Families Can Move From Conflict to Forgiveness

by Kimberly Eddleston / Interviews

Set boundaries clearly and often, understand your own hot buttons, and be genuinely curious about why the other side thinks the way they do. Read more...

What Japan's Oldest Businesses Can Teach Us About Longevity

by Peter Vogel / Commentary

Should longevity always be the goal? And if so, what exactly should endure—the operating company, a particular business model, or the family enterprise system itself? Read more...

When Family Business Reputation Helps—and When It Hurts

by Philipp Jaufenthaler, Roland Schroll, and Franz Kellermanns / Research Insight

Family firms often enjoy strong consumer goodwill, until they engage in deliberate misconduct -- when higher expectations can produce deeper disappointment and sharper backlash. Read more...

Why People Risk Belongs on Every Family Business Board Agenda

by Claudia Binz Astrachan and Lars B. Sonderegger / Practice Insight

Boards routinely scrutinize financial and strategic risk. But talent shortages, leadership culture problems, and succession gaps can erode long-term value just as quickly. Read more...

by Joseph Astrachan and Claudia Binz Astrachan

Things to Consider When Transferring Family Business Ownership

by Susan Lanz, Gary Burke, Kajsa Haag, and Omid Omidvar

How to Run a Family Business Successfully

by Kerry Hannon

Let the Next Generation of Family Firm Leaders Chart Their Own Path

by Klaus Lüber and Nadine Kammerlander

Outside Leadership Can Save the Family Business

by Robert Sher

The 'Fredo Factor:' How Deadbeats and Troublemakers Hurt Family Businesses

by Kimberly Eddleston