Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo

Fascinating, candid and vivid conversation with Raul Perea-Henze (former deputy mayor of NYC) about how the city of New York went into responding to the first wave of Covid-19. At the core of every situation is LEADERSHIP, Raul says. The key is to develop trust with those you serve.   Raul shares the five successful learnings that family businesses can take away for a successful transition. Francesco and Raul talk about how Covid, like most stresses, brings out the best and worst in people, what to watch out for and how to handle the pressure.   Key lessons: Face the reality of the situation Develop a clear strategy for action Create collaborations Come up with creative solutions to redirect resources Advice for family businesses is simple, Raul says "Mission first, people ALWAYS!"

Having served in the White house under the Clinton Administration, Raul Perea-Henze shares his experience with the Fellowship Leadership Program at the White House. Francesco and Raul discuss what leadership is, and more importantly how to develop, groom and launch. Raul shares the key to success of NxtGen leadership development as this: Prepare independent minds to follow the family values with a clear sense of purpose. Raul's advice, "Always keep learning. This starts with working on your own emotional self. Once you know yourself and why you do what you do, now you are ready for leadership." In part 2 of the episode Francesco and Raul talk about his role in NYC during the Covid pandemic and what he learnt as the Deputy Mayor. 

In part two, Vinayak Dhingra and Francesco discuss the challenges that arise when a NxtGen enters the family business.     How can a parent see their child as an adult working in the business and not the child they once were? How can generations learn to work together and support the long term sustainability of the family business? How can NxtGen be properly equipped to transition from the formal education to the practical integration of a family business? These are questions that are addressed by Kin and Kith, a NxtGen preparedness program created by NxtGen for NxtGen. The wish Vinayak has for the future: Advisors be in this space NOT for the money, but the impact you could have on family businesses".   A bold, true statement by a NxtGen committed to his peers and family businesses globally. 

Francesco and Vinayak Dhingra, a 2nd generation family business member and co-founder of Kin and Kith discuss his story of not fitting in as a child and the lesson learnt from this experience. Vinayak shares what he learnt about the need to be accepted into society and the family business.Participating at an early age is one of the ingredients for "preparedness".   Francesco and Vinayak discuss what is "preparedness" and how to practically articulate and execute "preparedness".   Vinayak's advice for Senior and NxtGen: "Allow the NxtGen to fail, for failure is the biggest key and learning towards success." Stay tuned for the second part of this interview where we will discuss what Vinayak and his co-founder Nehal Sharma have created in Kin and Kith to support the NxtGen on their journey. 

In part two with Nehal Sharma, Francesco discussed the dangerous 4 horsemen of the apocalypse of family business, and how these have a detrimental impact on the sustainability of the family, the business and the ownership, if not addressed.    Nehal talks about the key role good parenting plays on the development of the next generation to prepare them for the role and involvement in their family business.      Her advice is easy and simple: "Allow the next generation to grow up into individuals", not who the parent wants them to be.   

In this episode, Francesco interviews Nehal Sharma, a next-generation family member, educationist, and lifelong learner. Nehal shares her journey and why she is so committed to the preparedness of the next generation in Family Business. Nehal shares the path to answering the questions: Where do I fit in, what do I do, and how do I best contribute to the legacy and continued success of the family business.   In the next episode, Francesco and Nehal will discuss the four horsemen of the apocalypse in families of wealth and family business, what they are and how to overcome them to ensure continuity and health of the family and the business.

Tyler Wagner, one of the most successful book marketers,  shares his courageous journey of dropping out of high school to pursue his dream.    In this show we talk about the importance of having awkward conversations early with your family. The cost of avoiding the conversations is too great, "get them done right away" Tyler shares

Alan and Francesco discuss the importance of having a board of directors and the critical role they play in the health and welfare of the family business.

Daniel's advice for the senior generation family members, "Allow the NxtGen to fail."   His advice for the NxtGen, "Be serious about your life and focus on making a difference, this will give you a deep sense of contribution."   Daniel and Francesco have a conversation about how to reduce the danger of entitlement and the burden of being in a family business by establishing an Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP).      What are the biggest dangers in a family business? The human beings?

Amy and Francesco discuss what gets in the way of family members in a family business when transitioning from one generation to the next.   Learn what the two key ingredients are for succession and continuity to happen in your family.       As Amy quoted, "Your position does not define who you are."    In their next episode, Francesco and Amy will discuss why the current model of traditional governance is failing to serve families.   We will talk about why Organized Emotional Governance reduces friction in Family Business and ensures legacy.