Acknowledgments

THE FIRST PEOPLE we need to thank for making this book possible are the families who have taught us what we know about family business. We have met hundreds of families of all sizes from all over the world. They invited us into their businesses and their lives. In the process of working with us on their goals, each family added something—a new story about child-rearing, a unique estate planning dilemma, an illustration of cultural differences in Chile or Norway, an industry with unusual constraints on strategy—and it is those stories and the lessons we learned from them that created this book.

In particular we want to mention the executives at Caterpillar Inc., especially Dave Lewis, Bob Kinne, and Ron Bonati, who sponsored the original project that got us rolling as a team. The Caterpillar dealers were very generous in sharing their experiences with us over a period of more than a decade, and many of their dilemmas and solutions are embedded in our model.

The Harvard Business School Press has our sincere thanks for helping us turn our ideas into a publication. Carol Franco’s initial enthusiasm for the book convinced us that it would be worthwhile to try to write it; Hollis Heimbouch’s continuous prodding and enthusiasm are what got us over the hurdles. All of the other staff at the Press, in editing, design, and marketing, have been a pleasure to work with. We also want to thank By Barnes and Howard Stevenson of the Harvard Business School for their extremely helpful reviews of earlier drafts.

It is especially important to us as participants in this young and developing professional field to acknowledge the influence and contributions of our colleagues. In the text we have tried to note the work of others that has laid the foundation for our own thinking. Beyond that, we want to try to recognize the enormous debt we owe to those individuals who have been our mentors. They have been teachers, advisers, sponsors, guides—and, ultimately, dear and trusted friends. To Dan Levinson, Ron Tagiuri, Dick Beckhard, Barbara Hollander, and Mort Deutsch: In ways that neither you nor we can isolate, your wisdom and teaching are embedded in the heart of our work.

Finally, we dedicate this book, with love, to our families.