Family Business - IESE’s Chair in Family-Owned Business

Highlights Leadership

Between prudence and paralysis: three strategies to advance in uncertain times

By Josep Tàpies

Reading the Harvard Business Review article “How to Lead When Things Feel Increasingly Out of Control,” I was struck by its particular relevance for family-owned firms—businesses often criticized for delaying critical decisions and missing opportunities amid uncertainty and volatility. This perception notwithstanding, many family businesses bring decades of hard-won experience in navigating uncertainty. They have […]

Highlights What's New

Agile and purpose-driven: the formula for economic growth in 2026

By Empresa Familiar/Family-Owned Business

In a context of rising market volatility, agile and purpose-driven family-owned firms continue to outperform their peers, recording growth of 31% compared with 21%, according to PwC’s 2025 Global Family Business Survey. The 1,325 family businesses surveyed reported an increased emphasis on reputation and legacy, with 23% focused on stabilizing the core business, up from […]

Business Family Highlights

Integrated family capital: the four pillars of genuine wealth

By Empresa Familiar/Family-Owned Business

Guest collaborator: Pedro Vázquez Pedro Vázquez is an associate professor of business policy, academic director of the Center for Family Business, and holder of the Chair of Organizational Governance at IAE, located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When the topic of business families arises, the conversation almost invariably turns to money: How much is the company […]

Highlights Leadership

Four insights to maximize non-family leadership

By Jeroen Neckebrouck

The decision to integrate non-family executives into a family business is often described as a pivotal moment of “professionalization.” According to conventional wisdom—frequently reinforced by advisors—seasoned outsiders inject discipline and boost performance. While non-family managers are critical to the growth of many family firms, academic research shows that their positive impact is not automatic. Hiring […]

Business Family Highlights

How to foster a family culture grounded in love and service

By Carlos García Pont

A father watches his older daughter patiently help her little brother tie his shoelaces. She doesn’t show off or give instructions; she’s simply there, helping him at his pace until he gets it right. This simple interaction captures something profound: in a family, love isn’t measured by how we feel but in what we do […]

Business Family Highlights

Family businesses are far more than surnames and shareholdings

By Carlos García Pont

During a business school case session, a participant asked what seemed like a simple question: “Is this a family business?” The class began with standard definitions: family ownership, board control, multiple family members in management roles…Then someone made a remark that transformed the discussion: “A family business is one where the family actively strives to […]

Family Highlights Leadership

Intergenerational dynamics: conflict or collaboration?

By Alfonso Chiner

Years ago in a family business, both the president (father) and CEO (son) made the same confession: “We constantly clash and argue in every meeting—right in front of our managers.” I told them we needed to find a solution. Their response came in unison—blunt and unequivocal: “This problem has no solution.” I decided to take […]

What's New

New times, same purpose

Marta ElviraMarch 1, 2021

This is my first-ever blog post and it couldn’t be in a more ideal setting: IESE’s Family-Owned Business Blog, which today enters a new phase as Josep Tàpies advanced last week in his post. From now on, this blog will be a group effort, with contributions from every member of IESE’s Chair of Family-Owned Business’ […]