Waypoints: Ideas and Insights to Navigate Enterprise Complexity

Family-owned businesses really are the heart of the U.S. economy. Forbes magazine estimates that 90 percent of all U.S. businesses are family-owned or controlled by a family. More than that, family-owned businesses account for 50 percent of the U.S. Gross National Product. Clearly, they are critical to the stability and growth of the U.S. economy, as well as to job creation.

If the recent financial crisis taught us anything, it taught us the value of a high-functioning board of directors. An educated, involved board can help steer an organization away from needless risk and into a balanced governance structure – the board handles oversight while management handles day-to-day operations.