The four letter word even the toughest business owner will rarely utter…. Most other four letter words are verbs, lived out every day. This one should be too.

The Royal Family is experiencing this moment with the entire world watching. There are aspects we can learn from as we observe the ultimate family business, the Royal Family Business, as they chart their new waters.

According to the Exit Planning Institute, 50% of all business owners are forced out of ownership due to unforeseen circumstances such as death, disability, divorce, or disagreement, ensuring that you are always ready for transition is the ultimate protection. If you aren’t prepared, the chickens will come home to roost.

There are several lessons we mortals can take into our own transitions, particularly when exiting our business or career. GOATS aren’t the only ones walking among us that blur the lines between owning our job and the job owning us, becoming our identity.

Legacy, by definition, is something that is passed on to the next generation. Whether tangible or intangible, sometimes, it’s a gift. Other times, it may be a curse. That is, legacy requires an actor and an audience or a witness, somebody that was impacted by the acts or gifts of another. By somebody willing to shoot their shot...

We spend so much time focused on our careers and our businesses; how often do we slow down to identify and appreciate the things that make our life feel whole and balanced? We know that planning is important. We plan for our financial security, but we also need to plan for ourselves.

Vacationing done well, in the context of your business, means you have mastered the art of delegation. Delegation is the portal to freedom. When we are skilled at delegation, we are clear-eyed about our strengths and weaknesses, and what we like to do and not do.

The truth of the matter is that we can learn a lot, as business leaders and owners, from a private equity mindset. Most private equity professionals I know have a keen interest in growing companies that in turn grow valuable companies. Shouldn’t you, as a business owner, want that too?

How often have you sat in a meeting or been in a conversation and thought "That's a wreck waiting to happen?"

Or maybe you're the one with the fantastic, amazing, great idea and others are looking at you like you have five heads?

Be wary of shiny lights.

At work, the dynamics of relationships are always fluid, shape shifting as roles, connections, and conversations flow. When the company is a family business, an additional force comes into play – are you a family member, “like” a family member, or average member of the team? Be brave.

Being in a family business is not always a piece of cake. Some times it can get downright messy. Work lives bleed even more deeply into home life and relationships. But you can have your cake and eat it too…

Parameters should have been laid out for Mr. Rodgers, or for that matter any other teammate, as to how to manage the messaging consistent with the brand. Yet all three organizations charged with managing and caring for its people failed to do so.

I arrived in New York City mid-morning and was able to get into my room early. With a choice to make (work or go explore), exploration won out. The most interesting lessons came from unexpected sources…

Work with – not hire, not employ.  Working with your colleagues, regardless of title, is a completely different mindset than the usual employment model of “me boss, you not.”

Combined with the pressures of the pandemic and the Great Resignation, the urgency is more acute for business owners, leaving many to ask, “Should I sell my company outright or, if a family business, gift my stock to the next generation before the end of the year?” Take a pause and align your intentions.

Google is forcing its workers back to the office or face a cut in pay. In light of worker burn-out and labor shortages, Google's got it wrong.

Competition is a given in life and business. It’s the basic struggle we all face to ensure that you have adequate food, space, time, and other resources to accomplish what you need and want. Competition is a powerful motivator.

How prepared are your leaders to set goals for your company coming out of the pandemic?

Do they understand how your company makes money?

At the April 28, 2021 EEOC Hearing, the impact of COVID-19 on civil rights underscored the "empathy deficit." Employer and employees can do better.