Insights
Insights for founders, family businesses & SME leaders navigating transition.
These articles explore the human, cultural and strategic decisions that shape long-term value — especially during periods of transition.
Drawing on decades of leadership experience across family business, construction and SaaS scale-ups, I write about what really matters beneath the numbers: people, capability, identity and risk.
You’ll find clear thinking, practical tools and thoughtful reflections to help you lead with confidence — before, during and after change.
How Founders Can Step Back Without Disappearing
In many family businesses, the founder’s presence never really leaves the boardroom. Their influence can inspire confidence — or create a shadow that makes it hard for successors to lead in their own right. This article explores how founders can step back without disappearing and how families can move from shadowed to empowered.
Why Successors Shouldn’t Be Mirrors of Their Founders
Cable Laying in Carlisle 1952 McNicholas Construction
How to Know When It’s Time to Let Go: The Emotional Side of Business Succession
Both generations will flourish
From Growth to Exit
The McNicholas legacy: from post-war groundwork to a thriving third-generation business.
