Virginia Evans’ debut novel The Correspondent has become one of the literary surprises of the past year. The novel follows Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer living alone in Annapolis. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was eight. The story is told entirely through the…

Last week we examined the foundations of the four rooms model in family business and why addressing a specific issue in the right room is so essential. In today's installment, we’ll add another layer to this framework: the valuable tools proposed by the renowned scholar Clayton Christensen. Christensen’s diagnostic starts with two key questions Finding…

According to common wisdom, the unique characteristics of family firms give them a natural edge when it comes to ESG performance. This IESE Insight article suggests a more nuanced reality, with highlights from recent research by NYU Stern professor Belén Villalonga and IESE professors Marta Elvira, Igor Kadach and Gaizka Ormazabal. What drives sustainability performance?…

Family businesses are rarely at a loss for tools. They can set up a board of directors, redesign incentives, bring in an outside CEO, draft a family protocol, convene a family council or call in a mediator. The real challenge lies elsewhere: how do you know which tool to use, where to use it and…