A third-generation leader of a family-held lubricant business once related a stressful state that the business experienced this way: "It was a nightmare. We were dancing around each other all day at the office and out in the yard. Worst of all, the tensions seemed to be festering along branch lines from the three brothers who ran the business in the last generation of leaders. They'd each gone out of their way to lobby my cousins and siblings to join the business. And why not? We were growing and our parents had terrific lifestyles. They each had a separate role to fill in the company; my dad handled administration (finance, HR, admin); one of my uncles managed sales; and the third brother oversaw production and inventory. They each took the same salary, had their own direct reports and met once a month over lunch to talk through business opportunities and challenges. But 15 years ago, the first cousin came on board — and then another, and another and another.
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