Hug of War – The Family Business Podcast.
In this Family Business Podcast conversation, Cathy Carroll discusses the concept of shadow influence and how it can impact leadership in a family business, with our host Russ Haworth.
She shares examples of shadow influence, both positive and negative, and emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing polarities in a family business. Cathy also highlights the challenges and opportunities of the family mindset in succession planning and the value of constructive conflict in navigating family business dynamics.
Cathy Carroll, author of ‘Hug of War’, discusses the unique challenges of leading a family business with both love and logic. She explores the concept of polarities in family businesses, where opposing forces such as candour and diplomacy, or reveal and conceal, coexist and create tension.
Cathy emphasises the importance of adopting a ‘both-and’ mindset to find innovative solutions that incorporate the benefits of both sides.
She also addresses the issues of domain crossover, where power is used in one domain to influence the other, and shadow influence, where individuals without formal roles or ownership wield significant power within the business.