Episode 99 - Talking about Conflict at Work in Family Businesses with Liz Kislik

Show Notes

Contrary to what we might observe, it's not always clear that there's conflict in the workplace. We might witness a scene when things fall apart but there are many factors before then that can be addressed to actually stop that conflict from happening! 

In this episode of The Disruptive Successor Show, Jonathan has an insightful conversation with Liz Kislik, President of Liz Kislik Associates, on why there's so much conflict at work. She also talks about handling conflict in family businesses and what leaders can do best.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Why is there so much conflict at work?
• How conflict is different in family businesses
• The damage that conflict and conflict avoidance does in the workplace
• Making sure generational transitions are done successfully
• On Liz's TEDx Talk and who should watch it

QUOTES

LIZ: Why the leader needs to communicate and embody safety

“I don't think leaders provide trust. I think they can provide safety. But trust is something we bring ourselves based on our own experiences. There are people who never will trust. It doesn't matter who they work for, it doesn't matter how you go out of your way. Some people can't do it."

LIZ: Leadership now moves away from "command and control"

“Now that we expect collaboration, that's a whole other ball game. Because you have to be able to get along to collaborate and you have to be able to disagree. Otherwise, the collaboration may look nice and sound nice, but it may not accomplish anything because if everybody had the same opinion, you can't make much change when you need it."

 

Connect with Liz and learn more about her work:

• About Liz
• Lizkislik.com

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com

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What is Disruptive Successor Podcast?

The Disruptive Successor Show is a podcast for next-generation leaders in family businesses and entrepreneurs who want to disrupt the status quo to grow their business and take it to the next level.

We all know that what got us here isn’t going to get us there.

If you are taking control over your family’s business or trying to get your business to the next level, you will need inspiration, advice and resources to help you create a massive impact.

Listeners of my show include not only the millennial or Gen Z but also the Baby Boomer and Gen Y. My listeners tend to be involved in these industries: business services, construction, design-build-maintain landscape contracting, food manufacturing, property management, real estate, and technology.

And are interested in issues like business coaching, branding, communication, difficult conversations, disruption, employee ownership, exit planning, financial management, leadership, innovation, intergenerational transfer, marketing, multi-generational family businesses, business operations, process documentation, security, selling, storytelling, succession, visioning, wealth management,

My guests are entrepreneurs, family business advisors, multi-generational and Gen 2 family business leaders, heads of university family business programs, consultants, coaches and firms that serve those who are growth businesses.

Clients of my show typically are running businesses with 10 to 200 employees and $1M to $20M in revenues.

Their concerns include: scaling up, exit planning, succession, leadership development, disruption, business planning, finances, growth planning, transferring generational wealth, transferring control, ownership issues, and more.

The benefits listeners receive are introductions to experts and advisors around the issues of growing and exiting a business, whether it’s a family business or entrepreneurial venture. They get a feel for the challenges other business owners and leaders face and how they overcame them. They will hear stories from people and how they came to do their work and why.

My shows feature handpicked guests who engage with me in casual conversations lasting between 30 to 40 minutes. You can expect to be entertained, engaged and may even get takeaways like business tools or ideas for implementation in your business.

I’ve led entrepreneurial adventures in art, clothing, a holistic health lifestyle magazine and trade show, shoe manufacturing. I’ve also led several non-profit organizations. I earned an MBA from the University of Southern California in Entrepreneurship.

I’ve been advising, coaching and consulting family-owned, family-run and entrepreneur-led businesses since 1989. My love for entrepreneurship follows the closure of my family’s sizeable multi-generational clothing manufacturing company after eight decades of operation because there were no successors.

After uncovering the code to scale up a family-run business - a playbook and a disruptive successor - I wrote a book called Disruptive Successor: A Guide To Driving Growth in Your Family Business.

My podcast is my effort to bring interested people into the conversation to benefit disruptive successors.