It’s been a busy few months since our last newsletter, as our global team gathered in Canada for our latest LGA Quarterly retreat, the FIFA World Cup kicked off a thrilling month of non-stop football, and our clients around the world continue to navigate complexity and pursue continuity with commitment and focus.
Amidst all this activity, our Partner Mika Mazor made time to craft her latest article, “Succession Shadows: Why letting go of the CEO Seat is the Hardest Act of Leadership“. Mika highlights the unique challenges associated with recruiting your first external, non-family CEO—a decision which can be a vital strategic step toward long-term continuity, yet also trigger intense emotional resistance. She also shares practical advice for families contemplating this critical shift in leadership design.
We are also thrilled to share with you a recent episode from Season 2 of the LGA Lighthouse Podcast, “How Coaching Unlocks Family Enterprise Potential”, featuring LGA Partner Wendy Ulaszek. She discusses the difference between therapy and coaching, shares methods for how to cultivate ambidextrous leadership, and explores how individual growth and development can serve as a catalyst for healthier family systems.
As always, we also share a few top recommendations from what we’re reading and watching, along with some updates on the LGA team. We hope you enjoy!
Your LGA Global Team
Succession Shadows
Why letting go of the CEO Seat is the Hardest Act of Leadership
By Mika Mazor
I met recently with the founder of a global retail empire. Four decades ago, this man built an entire commercial universe with his own two hands out of a small, damp warehouse; a man whose name has become synonymous with success, tenacity, and unparalleled vision.
He looked at me with tired eyes, which had seen economic crises, geopolitical upheavals, and an ever-changing market. Yet, at that moment, they reflected something else entirely: a raw, almost existential fear.
“I know the numbers are fading,” he whispered, almost to himself. “And I know the market demands digitization, structural change, and an agility that I simply don’t have in my toolkit. I understand that the company needs a new kind of leadership. But every time I sit in the interview room across from a worthy candidate, I feel like I’m not looking for a CEO – I’m looking for myself, for my own reflection, just in an upgraded version that might not even exist in reality.”
This is the exact moment where cold business strategy collides with human complexity and family dynamics. Recruiting an external CEO is often a rational and vital move for a family to ensure continuity, yet it is also a move that triggers intense emotional resistance. Why is the chasm between “understanding it right” and “executing it” so vast? And what truly happens when a family business owner realizes that the time has come to vacate the CEO seat?…
LGA Lighthouse: Season 2, Episode 9
How Coaching Unlocks Family Enterprise Potential
In this episode, host Tim Yeung interviews LGA Partner Wendy Ulaszek as she shares insights on the intersection of human behavior and enterprise governance. Their discussion focuses on how individual growth serves as a catalyst for healthier family systems and provides a roadmap for leaders looking to transition from their current state to their aspirational potential.
Key Takeaway: While family business advisors support the entire family system to build the external structures for success, individual coaching acts as a vital “springboard” for personal growth. It provides family members with the self-awareness and emotional fitness needed to resist “family gravity,” step out of old childhood scripts, and effectively manage the complex polarities of family enterprise leadership.
LGA Highlights: What We’re Reading, Watching, and Listening to This Month
In a rapidly shifting world, anticipating the future requires proactivity and perspective. That’s why our global team is on a journey of constant discovery and continuous learning in search of the latest ideas in business, leadership, family dynamics and beyond.
For this edition, we’ve curated the following list of resources that may be of interest—sparking new conversations across the team and expanding our thinking and work with client families:
How to Disagree Better, by Julia Minson (Book): Grounded in decades of psychological research, this book explores the vital skill of handling conflicting viewpoints without damaging core relationships. For multi-generational family firms, mastering this dynamic is critical. Author Julia Minson, a Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, provides readers with a framework to bridge emotional divides and communicate through high-stakes tensions. It is an indispensable read for families looking to foster a culture of psychological safety, ensuring that strategic disagreements at the boardroom table build the business up rather than tearing the family apart.
- Trailblazers of Family Business Research and Learning, by Hermut Kormann & Birgit Suberg (Book): A compilation of candid reflections and interviews from family business scholars, educators, and systemic therapists. The book maps the evolution of global governance, succession, and family care. For family enterprises, it acts as a global repository of cross-cultural insights, offering practical guidance to improve family communication, navigate diverse kinship structures, and support the emotional infrastructure of the enterprise system.
Moonshots with Peter Diamandis (Podcast): Dedicated to the future of technology and its impact on humanity, this podcast features top tech pioneers who demystify exponential trends like AI, robotics, and longevity. It is specifically structured to help family enterprise leaders and their advisors bridge the gap between legacy industries and emerging tech, turning high-level futurism into a practical guide for long-term continuity. Episodes conclude with forward-looking insights and actionable mindsets to help leaders future-proof their operations and successfully transition their businesses to the next generation of tech-forward leaders.
Houshi – English Subtitles (Short Documentary): This visually stunning short film profiles the Houshi Ryokan, a Japanese hot spring inn operating under the same family for an astonishing 46 generations. Far from just a history piece, it offers an intimate look at the cost of multi-generational continuity. Following the tragic passing of the designated heir, the film explores the immense psychological weight placed on the incumbent’s daughter as she steps into an unexpected succession role, highlighting the tension between ancient family traditions and modern enterprise survival. For a deeper dive into Japan’s many ancient family businesses, you can also check out this related article on The Big Think.
We hope you find these resources as inspiring and thought-provoking as we have. Please feel free to send us your favorites as well, as we are always on the lookout to gather and share great ideas!
LGA In The Media
In the fast-evolving landscape of family enterprise, navigating complex governance, succession, and communication challenges requires forward-thinking strategy. Our global advisory team is regularly called upon by leading publications to share their insights on the issues that matter most to multi-generational families. Below is some of the most recent coverage:
- Seoul Economic Daily: LGA Advisor Claire Heewon Jung and LGA Partner Thomas Ang sat down with the Seoul Economic Daily (서울경제) in South Korea to discuss a common trend they are seeing in the region: succession planning is no longer about financial growth and profit—there is an increasing focus on family dynamics and relationships.
- New York Times: LGA Managing Partner Devin DeCiantis, co-author of The Enduring Enterprise, was interviewed about the massive wave of wealth currently transferring between generations. The piece highlights why specialized advisors have become a crucial part of these high-stakes transitions, and how navigating the deep emotional dynamics of a family is just as essential to asset preservation as legal or financial planning.
- The Economist: Featuring insights from LGA Advisor Jeremy Cheng, this article looks at the imminent transfer of leadership and assets within global family firms. The piece explores the unique hurdles that families face when transitioning control to next-generation leaders, underscoring that a smooth handoff requires moving past rigid structures in favor of adaptive governance systems.
Meet Our Newest Advisor
In our ongoing efforts to broaden our global impact and better meet the needs of our clients, we recently welcomed Luis Pedro Recinos to our team.
Luis Pedro Recinos
Guatemala
Luis Pedro brings a distinctive dual perspective to his work with enterprising families. Having served both as a senior executive within a large family enterprise, and as a member of his own multigenerational family business, he understands firsthand the complexities and opportunities that arise at the intersection of family, ownership, governance, and business leadership.
Luis Pedro has extensive experience working with boards, executive teams, and family shareholders on topics including governance structures, strategic alignment and transformation, leadership, organizational culture, succession planning, and long-term value creation. His approach combines strategic rigor with a strong emphasis on values, relationships, and the human dynamics within enterprising families.
He is a published author and holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University, a Master of Science in Management from the University of Florida, and an Executive MBA from Kellogg School of Management. We’re very excited for him to be joining us, and we can’t wait for you to meet him.
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