In the Shadow of Transition

In every family business, there comes a moment when the old order begins to fade. The founding generation, once the source of authority, legitimacy, and cohesion, gradually loses its hold. The rules of the game, often unwritten but deeply respected, no longer suffice to guide the enterprise. What once felt natural and unquestioned starts to feel uncertain, fragile, and contested. This is not simply the passing of leadership from one individual to another, but the slow erosion of a system that had kept both family and business in balance.

At the same time, the new is not yet fully born. The rising generation, with its own ambitions and vision, struggles to take root. Their legitimacy has not yet been fully acknowledged, their authority not yet consolidated. In this vacuum, tensions multiply: conflicts between siblings, indecision at the board, fragmentation of strategy, and the temptation to cling to the past. Gramsci reminds us that such transitional phases inevitably give rise to “morbid symptoms.” Yet if embraced with foresight, this crisis becomes an opening, an opportunity to redefine governance, renew the family’s sense of purpose, and set the stage for continuity across generations.

W.