Too often, exiting owners make this key decision based on their own "gut" instincts, flawed 360s (multi-rater surveys), or, in the case of family businesses, the child who has expressed the most interest in leadship. 

Effective, empirically-based processes for management and leadership selection that are used successfully in Fortune 500 companies are typically ignored or simply not understood by small business owners and their advisors.

 

Once succession plans are completed, it becomes possible to predict with great accuracy if there will be conflicts (e.g. personality, values) between the current and next generation of leadership.  Once identified, these potential conflicts can be addressed directly and avoided.

Without this information, carefully constructed exit strategies are often hijacked by conflict, and fail to materialize despite the best efforts of financial advisors, attorneys, and accountants.

 

 













When a business owner spends 20, 30, or 40+ years leading and growing their company, exiting can often feel like falling off a cliff.  Daily tasks and responsibilities disappear, and an owner's sense of professional (and personal) identity can be significantly disrupted.

Re-examining core values, talents, and motivators can bring structure to this process, and provide the opportunity to quickly begin "the next chapter" while simultaneously avoiding potential disruptions to new leadership.