Generational Transition: A Cry That Pushes Further

Generational Transition: a Scream That Pushes Beyond

Alberto Albertini’s “The Inhuman Scream” is not just a book about sport, but a powerful metaphor for many transitions, including generational transition in family businesses. Fausto Desalu’s scream at the moment of handing the baton to Filippo Tortu, described with intensity in the text, symbolizes the bond between past and future: a bridge between the one who passes on the baton and the one who must push beyond with renewed strength and determination.

A crucial issue for family businesses

According to PwC’s Family Business Survey (2023), only 30% of family businesses manage to make it through the generational transition to the second generation, and less than 12% make it to the third. The difficulties are many:

Emotional resistance from founders, who are often reluctant to give up control.

Family conflicts that amplify tensions already present.

Lack of strategic planning, which leaves room for uncertainty and slows growth.

As in Albertini’s story, where the scream is not just an outburst, but a request for trust and an exhortation to responsibility, generational transition also requires the same mix of emotion, awareness, and coordinated action.

The fundamental dynamics of generational transition

The transfer of power: a delicate balance

In family businesses, the founder may be the “Desalu” of the situation: determined to hand over the baton, but worried that the successor does not have enough energy to finish the race. This phenomenon is known as Founder’s Syndrome (Gabarro, 2007). Practical example: Many founders maintain decision-making roles even after the official transition, slowing the autonomy of the new generation.

Family conflicts: turning tensions into opportunities

Rivalries between siblings or divergent visions can undermine stability. However, addressing conflicts with openness and a constructive spirit can turn them into an opportunity for growth.

The Japanese art of kintsugi — repairing broken objects with gold to make them even more valuable — offers a powerful metaphor for these challenges. Just as the cracks in vases become part of their beauty, family conflicts, if managed with care, can strengthen both the business and personal relationships.

The Role of the Mediator and Negotiation Skills

To successfully manage generational transition, it is essential to rely on experienced mediators and develop negotiation skills:

The Mediator

An external professional can facilitate dialogue between the parties, helping to clarify expectations, roles, and objectives.

Mediators use active listening and negotiation techniques to reduce tensions and promote shared solutions (Fisher & Ury, Getting to Yes, 1981).

Developing Negotiation Skills

Workshops and practical simulations can help family members improve their dialogue skills and manage conflicts constructively.

Practical tools for success

Structured succession plan

A clear timeline for the transfer of roles and responsibilities.

The involvement of expert advisors to ensure neutral management of the transition.

Training the new generation

Albertini emphasizes the importance of preparation: “Those who run do not do so only for themselves, but for the entire team. And every step is the result of hours, days, years of training.”

Mentoring: Current leaders can transfer not only technical skills, but also values.

Leadership programs: Courses dedicated to business management and negotiation can prepare successors for future challenges.

Clear governance

Implementing family councils and advisory committees promotes transparency and reduces conflicts.

Successful examples: learning from the best

Ferrero: The transition between Michele and Giovanni Ferrero was managed through a gradual succession plan, which included mentoring and the support of external managers.

LVMH: Bernard Arnault implemented shared governance and invested in the managerial development of his children, ensuring strategic continuity.

A legacy of value

As in a relay race, generational transition is not only about individual success, but about the continuity of an entire team. Desalu’s scream is not a simple athletic gesture: it is a symbol of the strength needed to trust, let go, and allow the future to run toward new goals.

In fact, many parents do not give their children trust, nor the opportunity to test themselves, precisely, they say, in order to guide them and prevent them from making mistakes (Alberto Albertini).

Do you want to turn your generational transition into a success? Contact me and we will build a tailored plan together.