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On Leadership

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On Leadership: Should you hire your family members to work in the family business?

This column is part of a series on family-owned business issues.

Earlier in my career, I worked in wealth management and advised many clients who owned multi-generational family businesses. One story stands out – a …

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On Leadership: Communication is key in family businesses

This column is the third in a series on family-owned business issues.

While clear communications are critical in any business, family-owned companies often face unique challenges when talking about the enterprise. Family issues and feelings …

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On Leadership: How can you prepare the next generation to lead the family business?

This column is the second in a series on family-owned business issues. 

Earlier in my career when I worked in wealth management, I assisted many business owners with the transfer of business ownership from one …

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Family-owned business succession: To sell or keep the business in the family?

This is the first in a series on family-owned business issues. 

Did you know that Iowa ranks fifth among states with the most family-owned businesses? 

Last year, a study published by Small Business Trends revealed …

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On Leadership: Are you relentlessly focused on reinventing your business?

How many times have you had conversations with team members where they reminded you of how things were done in the past? “We used to do it this way,” one colleague said to me recently, …

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On Leadership: Can confronting unexpected fears make you a better leader?

I was recently quite surprised to confront a fear I didn’t even know I had. While driving across a bridge over the Mississippi River on a trip to Wisconsin, I experienced a panic attack, which …

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On Leadership: 10 ways to be a more effective listener

This is part of a series on effective communication for leaders and organizations.

Early in my career, I got some great advice from a colleague who was very successful. He told me when I was …

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On Leadership: Are you getting your point across? Advice from a communications expert

This is part of a series on effective communication for leaders and organizations.

“If you want to be an effective leader, you need to excel in communication. In fact, the success of your business relies …

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On Leadership: Want to tell your story in the media? A veteran journalist offers advice.

This is the first in a series on effective communication for leaders and organizations.

“Why don’t you write about our organization?” is a common refrain I hear from many business leaders. Given my role at …

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On Leadership: The pandemic emergency is over, but the way we work and lead will never be the same

I was leaving a board meeting in Chicago and headed to O’Hare on the afternoon of May 5 when I got a Reuters text alert on my phone: The World Health Organization was announcing that …