Every person on our team is in a parent or grandparent support role, and we’re all living very busy lives. Whether we, in our sixties and seventies or young mothers, keep working out of love for the profession or because of current economic realities, we play vital roles in supporting our families.

Say the words "succession planning" in a room full of business owners and watch what happens. Shoulders tighten. Eyes drift to the table. Someone changes the subject. I understand why.

The clients who come to me feeling stuck usually aren’t confused about what needs to happen. They know. They’re just waiting. For the right moment to have the hard conversation. For a good time to hand off something important. For someone else to go first.

Leadership reputation isn’t built primarily in ordinary, day-to-day moments. It’s revealed, and remembered, when the stakes are high. Every leader faces defining moments when courage must become action, and those actions shape your reputation and, ultimately, your legacy.

Here we are again - the fourth quarter. For many business leaders, that means two things: finishing 2026 strong and planning intentionally for 2027.

Most organizations wait too long to talk about succession. The conversation usually begins when someone is planning to retire, a merger or acquisition is on the horizon, or an unexpected transition forces the issue.

Cook, Apple's CEO for 15 years, announced he's stepping down as he moves into the role of executive chairman. John Ternus — a 25-year Apple veteran who has spent his career designing Apple products — steps into the job. 

Every business measures revenue, profitability, and growth. Those numbers matter because they tell you where your business stands today.

I tell my clients this all the time: your numbers aren't just data. They're a story. And the real question isn't what the numbers say - it's what story they're telling about your business.

Every leader I've worked with can tell me the culture they want. Are they actually creating it?

Five questions I use to turn a busy fourth quarter into a focused one instead of one driven by reaction.

Most strategic planning sessions start the same way. The room fills with ideas. New initiatives. New markets. New technology. New services. Everyone leaves energized by what's possible. But there's one question that rarely gets asked.