The majority of business-owning families lack guidance on effective ownership development. Leader- ship development of the next generation is one significant reason for families’ inability to transition their enterprise from one generation to the next.

This book serves as a resource and support tool to help enterprising families learn and develop thoughtful, capable ownership by investing in and nurturing an owner’s mindset. This includes building “ownership literacy,” along with a genuine sense of stewardship. It offers a learning structure and approach for each stage of an owner’s development across the lifespan (from earliest years to retirement), taking into consideration the lifecycle stages of the family. The authors make clear that owner- ship development shouldn’t be confined to earlier ages; any owner at any age can gain ownership- related perspective and skills that can contribute to greater family harmony and business success.

The book provides enterprising families and their advisors with examples and practical advice for the promotion of knowledge, skills, and capabilities that incorporate a broad range of topics spanning from personal and interpersonal, to leadership and wealth, to business, ownership, and financial.