Managing the leadership-succession process, especially for family businesses but also for public companies, can be one of the most difficult transitions we face in the evolution of our organizations. The process requires skill sets that are either unfamiliar or utilized so infrequently, that those involved must seek shared experiences from individuals who have made the journey.

As a third-generation family-owned and operated company, I have experienced succession planning up close and personal: first as we transitioned from my father Don’s leadership to my own; and more recently as my daughter Julia joined Roscoe as a business analyst in 2016 and ...