For most fambiz leaders, “end of career” transitions are very hard – primarily because they can shake your very sense of identity. While leaders have genuine desires to turn over the reins of their companies to their successors, they are plagued by doubts, indecision, “what ifs,” and trepidation. Being the leader of a successful business can be pretty heady; how does one ensure that life after business will be as fulfilling as it was before?
Watch our blog this week as Wayne shares five tips for surviving and thriving these challenging times. We look forward to hearing how are you preparing yourself for your next phase of life. Please share your thoughts.
Neil Shnider, MBA, CVA, CPA says:
Transitioning within a family business is always tough as the senior member has a difficult time letting going and allowing the up and rising stars from injecting their style and ideas for the future growth of the company.
Linda L Brown says:
Wayne, great post! I coach a number of family-owned businesses and appreciate your blogs a great deal. Thank you.
One thing”¦as we age, even into our later years we CAN learn quite a bit. We just learn differently than we did when we were young. When we’re young, we use fluid learning which is absorbing new information or skills like a sponge, being able to memorize, etc. When we age, we use crystallized learning to process new information. Crystallized learning takes new information (or skills) and applies it existing information or skills we already learned or experienced. Pretty cool, eh? And, the level of motivation does affect how well we learn as well.
For example, my elderly mother-in-law learned breathing techniques to help control her involuntary movements that were caused by anxiety and the deterioration of a portion of the brain. When I asked her if I could teach her, she was surprisingly motivated and learned the technique in about 10 minutes. She continued to use it for the rest of her life.
Wayne Rivers says:
Thanks, Linda. Very encouraging for us not-as-young-as-we-once-were folks!
Maureen Parkin says:
Very timely! Our plan includes cruising too on the West Coast! We’ve found our boat and our finishing our exit plan! Patience is key. Transitioning takes time! We are slowly releasing the reins , which is not an easy task. We are leading from above, literally. We moved our offices upstairs out of the day to day operations , yet are available to provide guidance.
Wayne Rivers says:
Excellent, Maureen! Glad to hear it’s going well.
Don Woodruff says:
Better buy that boat!!
Wayne Rivers says:
Gotta find a great deal, Don. Those things are EXPENSIVE!