family business
James Lea is a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a nationally known family business speaker, author, and advisor. You can send comments or questions to him at james.lea@ yourfamilybusiness.net.
A business leader’s looks can be deceiving
One afternoon a few years ago, I closed a luncheon talk to an audience of business-owning families by asking for volunteers to tell the group what an effective family business senior owner and executive should look like and why.
The room was quiet for a few minutes while people glanced at one another, tossing the question around in their heads. Then a woman raised her hand and smiled. “I’ll give it a try,” she said with a bit of a Southwestern twang.
“Thanks for getting us started,” I said.
“The really effective family business owner and executive is tall and has lots of muscles,” she said, “and wears a big Stetson hat and rides a white horse. But I don’t think he packs a six-shooter.”
The audience broke up with laughter. “That’s a great description,” I said. “Now tell us why you think an owner should look like that.”
“Well, it seems to me that the owner has to be a real old-fashioned cowboy. It’s someone who can ride herd on a family that’s a mix of people with a common interest in the business’ success but a lot of different ideas about how that success should happen and what to do with it.” She paused. “I don’t think the six-shooter would be necessary, although sometimes when our family gets together it might.”
There was another roar of laughter and applause. “OK,” I said, “who’s next?”
“That’s a hard act to follow.” A young man wearing a military-style haircut and a big grin rose from a table near the wall. “The best executive or leader for our family business looks like General Patton.”
“Hard-nosed, you mean? Drives around in a tank and shouts orders at people?”
“Not so much the tank. But the executive has to be really good with strategy, with taking the long view and setting goals, with motivating everybody – family as well as employees – to really get on board with the strategy and go after the goals, even when it means making sacrifices.” He grinned again. “Shouting orders sometimes, too, I guess.”
“Do you know anyone like that?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said, putting his hand on the shoulder of the small woman seated next to him. “My mom. She’s the president of our company.”
When the laughter died down, an older man stood up near the front of the room. “I appreciate the family business executive who’s a cowboy hero or a tough general,” he said, “but I’d like to mention the one who’s skinny and quiet and never, ever gives up.”
The audience grew silent as he went on. “Today our family’s company has around 300 employees at branches in five states. The company pays out more in federal taxes each year than many people earn in a lifetime. All the family owners drive nice cars, send their kids to quality schools, take luxury vacations and have good retirement packages. I tell you this not to boast but to give credit to a family business owner and executive, my father, who looked more like Don Knotts than General Patton.
“Dad started his little business after the Korean War with some savings, a loan from his father-in-law and the perseverance of a bulldog. He didn’t dream of building another General Motors. He just wanted to do satisfying work and earn a decent living for his wife and children, maybe create a future opportunity for us youngsters.
“He wasn’t one to complain, so when I was a kid we never thought about how hard he worked. He was always home for family supper, then went back to the shop later. One night at the table he said in his quiet voice, ‘You know, I think we could have another shop in Oklahoma City. There’d be good business for us down there.’ And when he had made that decision, he just worked twice as hard.”
“And the rest is history,” I said.
“Yes, the rest is history,” the man nodded. “My father worked quietly, but he really worked and he was smart. He built a fine, successful company and a secure future for his family. If we take care of it, the business should last us for many generations.” He looked away into the past and smiled. “He was a skinny fellow, a slight overbite but pleasant looking. If you passed him on the street, you’d never know what an amazing family business executive he was.”
There was no laughter when he finished. There was applause. With everyone standing.
The room was quiet for a few minutes while people glanced at one another, tossing the question around in their heads. Then a woman raised her hand and smiled. “I’ll give it a try,” she said with a bit of a Southwestern twang.
“Thanks for getting us started,” I said.
“The really effective family business owner and executive is tall and has lots of muscles,” she said, “and wears a big Stetson hat and rides a white horse. But I don’t think he packs a six-shooter.”
The audience broke up with laughter. “That’s a great description,” I said. “Now tell us why you think an owner should look like that.”
“Well, it seems to me that the owner has to be a real old-fashioned cowboy. It’s someone who can ride herd on a family that’s a mix of people with a common interest in the business’ success but a lot of different ideas about how that success should happen and what to do with it.” She paused. “I don’t think the six-shooter would be necessary, although sometimes when our family gets together it might.”
There was another roar of laughter and applause. “OK,” I said, “who’s next?”
“That’s a hard act to follow.” A young man wearing a military-style haircut and a big grin rose from a table near the wall. “The best executive or leader for our family business looks like General Patton.”
“Hard-nosed, you mean? Drives around in a tank and shouts orders at people?”
“Not so much the tank. But the executive has to be really good with strategy, with taking the long view and setting goals, with motivating everybody – family as well as employees – to really get on board with the strategy and go after the goals, even when it means making sacrifices.” He grinned again. “Shouting orders sometimes, too, I guess.”
“Do you know anyone like that?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said, putting his hand on the shoulder of the small woman seated next to him. “My mom. She’s the president of our company.”
When the laughter died down, an older man stood up near the front of the room. “I appreciate the family business executive who’s a cowboy hero or a tough general,” he said, “but I’d like to mention the one who’s skinny and quiet and never, ever gives up.”
The audience grew silent as he went on. “Today our family’s company has around 300 employees at branches in five states. The company pays out more in federal taxes each year than many people earn in a lifetime. All the family owners drive nice cars, send their kids to quality schools, take luxury vacations and have good retirement packages. I tell you this not to boast but to give credit to a family business owner and executive, my father, who looked more like Don Knotts than General Patton.
“Dad started his little business after the Korean War with some savings, a loan from his father-in-law and the perseverance of a bulldog. He didn’t dream of building another General Motors. He just wanted to do satisfying work and earn a decent living for his wife and children, maybe create a future opportunity for us youngsters.
“He wasn’t one to complain, so when I was a kid we never thought about how hard he worked. He was always home for family supper, then went back to the shop later. One night at the table he said in his quiet voice, ‘You know, I think we could have another shop in Oklahoma City. There’d be good business for us down there.’ And when he had made that decision, he just worked twice as hard.”
“And the rest is history,” I said.
“Yes, the rest is history,” the man nodded. “My father worked quietly, but he really worked and he was smart. He built a fine, successful company and a secure future for his family. If we take care of it, the business should last us for many generations.” He looked away into the past and smiled. “He was a skinny fellow, a slight overbite but pleasant looking. If you passed him on the street, you’d never know what an amazing family business executive he was.”
There was no laughter when he finished. There was applause. With everyone standing.
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