Family Leadership Strategies

55 • “Do I want to be responsible for the welfare of the extended family?” • “Is this process fair to my siblings and cousins?” • “Do I have the passion needed for this role?” • “What will this mean for my own children and family branch?” • “Do the current seniors really intend to hand over the reins?” • “Can I make the dramatic changes that I think are needed to maintain the family’s success?” • “Will I receive compensation and equity commensurate with this role?” Successor reluctance may manifest itself in different ways. For some, it can be the final stage before reaching alignment, merely a step at which the final issues or misgivings are resolved. For example, successors may not fully understand what is expected of them and just need clarity and reassurance. Often, they want affirmation from siblings and cousins that they support them in their new roles. For others, it reflects a point of regression from alignment, when old concerns creep back into the process, such as not believing they will have sufficient autonomy and control. In any case, it is essential for both parties to recognize the following: • The transition has not been completed if the successor still exhibits meaningful reluctance. Hoping the successor will ‘come around’ is not a strategy for success. • It is crucial to identify the degree and underlying nature of reluctance and to actively engage in conversation on each issue. The objective is not to suppress the resistance but rather to understand and address the underlying cause of it directly. • It should be recognized that sometimes reluctance is profound resistance, and the successor might elect to take him- or herself out of the succession process. Most often, this is due to deeply-held values or career aspirations that conflict with the family or enterprise leadership roles. Seniors faced with reluctance from potential successors may call upon a similar framework to both understand the source of resistance, and develop strategies to overcomeminorormeaningful resistance. Again, it needs tobeacknowledged that without the process described earlier for open discussion of roles, expectations, autonomy, virtually all successors will harbor some level of reluctance. Navigating challenges and opportunities