In the early days of a family business, the founder takes all decisions. Decisions are fast and the family is aligned behind one leader, one vision, and one heartbeat. Over time, as the business grows and moves into the second and third generations, the ownership structure begins to spread like the branches of a tree — across siblings, across cousins. Then one day no one person is the universally accepted leader and no one holds majority control. Decisions now need consensus.
And that’s where the turbulence begins.
It’s nobody’s fault.
It’s a natural outcome of 3 generations trying to work together.
Each family member brings their own personality, capabilities, ambitions, and—let’s be honest—sometimes their own baggage to the table. Interests diverge. Risk appetites don’t match. Values evolve in different directions. Slowly but surely, decision-making grinds down. Trust erodes. Relationships strain. Family dinners start to become uncomfortable and tense – like boardroom meetings. Siblings start avoiding eye contact.
Here’s the hard truth:
Not every family is meant to do business together forever.
And that’s okay. It is normal.
When decision-making starts feeling forced When working together drains energy instead of creating it When communication breaks down
That’s the time to pause and explore whether restructuring is the more sustainable path.
It’s not failure. It’s evolution. Every family business goes through this cycle.
There comes a time when the best way forward is to restructure and split amicably. That’s a win win proposition for all sides.
This is exactly what the leadership of the 127 year old Godrej group did. When Adi & Jamshyd realised that their next gen has different visions they split their conglomerate amicably. While it took them 3 years, for most mid sized companies the process takes 1 to 2 years.
We help family businesses navigate these sensitive transitions — with fairness, transparency, and empathy – and start the journey by understanding everyone’s long term vision & aspirations
If this resonates with you, let’s talk. A conversation could open new doors.
—
Harsh Chopra
Family Business Advisor.
Partners 4 Growth
partners4growth.in