I have found myself wondering, in recent weeks, what my thought process would be if I was an executive in the sports complex at Penn State University, when emails about Jerry Sandusky’s activities arrived in my inbox. Would “winning” be the only thing? Our society seems to easily confuse winning and losing with right and…
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Shortly before my father died, at the age of 80, I asked him why he and my mother had decided to up-root the family and move with their four sons to Canada from Edinburgh. His response was immediate, if he didn’t do it two sons would make the move and he didn’t want the family…
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My father told me you can’t have progress without friction. When I go to the trusty Thesaurus (that is only a click away when I am writing my blog) there are many synonyms for “friction” including: resistance, abrasion, hostility, antagonism, conflict, strife. If you’re leading a family business these words would seem to be terms…
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Judith watched in disbelief as the paramedics wheeled the stretcher carrying Fred’s body past her office. A distraught Emily, Fred’s wife, followed, supported by Al, Fred’s partner in the business. Emily had come in for a lunch date and found Fred face down on his desk. It was too late. Judith sat there, her attention…
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Authority and control exercised by a leader can serve to constrain the team members or provide guidance and direction through what I call strategic leadership. Family business management operates at two levels, operational and strategic. New businesses, still in the “survival” stage function largely in the operations level, living day-to-day, chasing customers and staying ahead…
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The Logo There is a story, quoted in James E Hughes “Family Wealth: Keeping It in the Family” that I like. Marshall Lyautey, was one of Napoleon’s greatest generals. General Lyautey was famous for having the most beautiful gardens in France. One day as he and his head gardener were looking over the estate and…
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I stood beside Dr. Camille Rutherford of Brock University at the Ultimate Gaming Challenge in Niagara Falls early in May. We watched two young guys perform in front of an Xbox, guiding a virtual raft down what looked like a rugged tributary of the Amazon. “I’m interested in how games can help families in the…
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A portfolio manager I work with on a regular basis has the credo “pay attention to the risks and the returns will look after themselves”. When we work with business families that credo could be paraphrased “pay attention to the family and the business will look after itself”. The fact is a family business, with…
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Fear is a primal motivator in human beings and a major factor why most business owners haven’t done any succession planning. It’s hard for people who have spent a career building a business to think about stopping. Not building anymore; it goes against their instincts. Business builders are typically optimists; it’s one of my favorite…
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I stood Saturday evening beside a Salvation Army Kettle in a big shopping center in Niagara. I was there as a volunteer from my Kiwanis Club to assist the Salvation Army with their traditional Christmas fund raiser. It’s fun to watch the people go by, and to thank the ones who stop and put their…
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At Copper Beech Company, we believe that planning for the future helps create the future you want. We help clients identify goals and we care about the results our clients achieve. Whether the goals are improving financial position, growing the business, transitioning management and ownership. Helping Clarify goals, plan the route and holding the client accountable for achieving the milestones along the way is how we bring value to the engagement.
