'Una familia empresaria que se reinventa, preserva más que la que se aferra.'
The greatest threat to the continuity of a family business is not the market or competitors, but clinging to a model that no longer responds to reality. Covering is not to surrender. It is having the courage to start again with the wisdom of the path traveled.
When is the time to refound the family business?
Family businesses do not fail due to lack of love or commitment, but for excess attachment to a formula that once worked. The founders built from instinct and effort. The following generations have the challenge of building from the strategy, vision and the ability to adapt to a world that changes faster than ever.
Refounding is not just updating processes or changing image. It is a deep exercise of business self -knowledge, a restructuring of the business model, organizational culture and, sometimes, even property. It is an act of leadership, humility and vision.
Who has the courage to ask the questions difficult?
Covering begins when the business family dares to question their own role as owner:
- Do we have the capacity, vision and leadership necessary to transform this business?
- Are we willing to invest – and risk – significant resources to adapt?
- Is the next generation prepared – and motivated – to assume the helm of a renewed company?
- Are we indicated for this stage … or should we open the door to new leadership, internal or external?
These questions are not answered in an improvised committee or in a Sunday conversation. They require method, data, expert accompaniment and, above all, a clear intention: build future, not just conserve history.
A SWOT analysis of the business family can be an excellent starting point to identify real strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes the greatest asset is not the business itself, but the family disposition to renew. And on other occasions, the obstacle is not out, but within: a family narrative that does not allow to see change as a necessary evolution.
‘The legacy is not preserved by repeating the past, but rewriting it with vision of the future’.
Transforming is not betraying
Having specialized external advice allows the family not only to see the full forest, but to redraw the map with new routes. Professional accompaniment does not impose decisions: guide with perspective, provides data, facilitates dialogues and helps to specify a shared vision.
I have had the privilege of accompanying families that, when facing this crossroads, found not only a new business model, but also a renewed way of being a business family.
Sometimes, the best legacy is not what is left, but what you have the value of changing.
Continuity is not synonymous with permanence. Sometimes, to preserve the spirit of a family business, you have to reinvent its form. Covering is not a failure. It is the bravest act of a family that chooses to remain relevant, without giving up its essence.
Are you at a time of inflection and you don’t know if your company needs continuity or re -foundation? As an advisor specialized in family businesses, I can help you discover the answer with clarity, strategy and shared vision.
About the author:
Twitter: @mariorizofiscal
The opinions expressed are only the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and the editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
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