Name: Build to Flourish
Author: Matthew Powell

About the Book

Most family businesses fail to transcend multiple generations because succession becomes increasingly complex with every passing generation. Growing a business and transitioning a business to the next generation are two very distinct skill sets. In family business, leadership is much more complex than simply being a good operator of the day-to-day operations. In Build to Flourish: Leading Your Family Business into the Next Generation, Matthew Powell teaches you the four essential ingredients to cultivate the success of your family business: working with your family, on the business, in the business, and on yourself. Between prioritizing stewardship over profit and offering methods for fostering the talent within your team, Matthew shows you how to embrace both the “family” and “business” dimensions of your family business. Succession in family businesses often leaves the next generation of leaders ill-equipped for the handoff of leadership. Build to Flourish offers you tools and frameworks to foster a flourishing business while making a momentous leadership transition.

Praise

“Build to flourish. What a lovely, transparent journey Matthew shares in entering a fourth generation family business with its frustrations and challenges of stewardship. He goes through much historical and current management thinking, projecting it forward into the future. It is a worthwhile read for family-owned businesses, management, and leadership. He seeks the actualization of the total person, personally: family, community, physical, and spiritual—an excellent reflection for anyone seeking excellence. I look forward to the next chapter in this journey.”

— Richard R Pieper Sr, Past Chairman of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership & Chairman Emeritus PPC Partners Inc.

“Only a handful of family businesses have survived economic and business cycles with complex ownership dynamics through multiple generations. Matthew, the fourth generation family leader of Century Fence, shares perspectives on honoring traditions while championing cultural and business stewardship for future generations.”

— Eric K. Jorgensen, President & CEO, JX Enterprises, Inc.

“Matthew Powell is the real deal. He's a voracious reader, eager to learn, eminently coachable, and in the words of leadership genius Patrick Lencioni, 'humble, hungry, and smart.' So it's not surprising that Build to Flourish is no armchair leadership book. Matthew has been in the trenches—literally—and has written an accessible, savvy, and practical book with learnings for both aspiring and seasoned leaders.”

— Philip C Bergey, Senior Design Partner and Executive Coach, Design Group International

About Matthew Powell

Matthew Powell is the Fourth Generation President of the Century Fence Company. As the leader of the over 100-year-old family business, Matthew is actively stewarding and transforming the business for its next 100 years. Prior to joining the family business, he was a Mergers & Acquisition Analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Matthew lives in Wisconsin with his family.