Family Business Succession Planning & Executive Search Blog

If the phrase "I plan to die at my desk' is uttered by a family business leader, you need to stop and pay attention, because you've just stumbled upon a key risk we call the 'Die at my desk' rule. At the top of an org chart is a single accountable person who keeps an office, and in that office is a desk. If the incumbent leader plans to die at that desk, you have a succession planning problem that has the potential to thwart even the best of plans.

Your parents didn't succeed by preserving artifacts. They succeeded by being willing to make tough decisions and adapt to changing circumstances.

While industry-focused recruiters may understand your business challenges more intuitively, they face a critical limitation they rarely discuss with clients: conflict of interest restrictions that actually reduce their access to top talent.