Learning Family Business: Paradoxes and Pathways

This work examines the inescapable paradoxes of each stage of learning to manage the family firm, relating each paradox to the business life cycle. The learning stages include learning business, learning our business, leading our business and letting go of our business. The associated paradoxes involve stability versus adaptation; leading versus managing; and the special difficulties succession poses for the family firm. Possible pathways for managing each paradox are developed.