Dear Younger Me:

David C Bentall

Description

Family business enterprises, found in virtually every country, are the backbone of most economies. However, the leadership challenges they present are complex and unique. Most executives and family members in these firms eventually discover that their education and years of hard work have not prepared them to address many of the interpersonal demands that come with the territory. After years of study and reflection, David Bentall came to realize how ill equipped he had been to be a part of the solution for his own family business.
In his newest title, Dear Younger Me, he presents a highly personal exploration of nine key character traits that David realizes he was badly lacking as a young executive. Each of these traits are critically important for developing any leader, and for cultivating emotional intelligence and family relationships.
Written in a handbook format, and useful for any business executive, it is especially aspiring for family enterprise executives, providing insight and inspiration on how to develop HUMILITY, CURIOSITY, LISTENING, EMPATHY, FORGIVENESS, GRATITUDE, CRITICAL THINKING, PATIENCE and CONTENTMENT.
He artfully balances academic research with practical insights from many well-known family enterprise leaders exploring the role of these key virtues as found in the lives of such iconic leaders as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Kim Phuc, Walt Disney, John Wooden, and Helen Keller.

Sujets

• Entrepreneuriat
• entrepreneur
• Emprendedor
• Business
• Economics
• Skill
• Employabilité, métiers et formations
• New Business Enterprises
• Skills
• Efficacité professionnel

Informations

• Publié par: Castle Quay Books
• Date de parution: 21 novembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781988928142
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

I loved reading this book! With humility, grace, and courage, David has written Dear Younger Me as a distillation of wisdom and practice addressed to his younger self and by extension to all successors and their families, friends, and advisors. I know David as a teacher, speaker, storyteller, collaborator, and friend, and I greatly admire and respect his commitment to living his best life and helping others to do the same. There’s been a gap in family enterprise literature—we’ve been waiting for a book like this!
Michelle Osry
Vice-Chair, Family Enterprise Exchange
David has learned a lot about real life, both through his experience as a family enterprise executive and as a successor. Dear Younger Me includes everything you need to know to set you on the road to success.
Jimmy Pattison
Chairman & CEO, Jim Pattison Group
David provides life-changing wisdom for the emerging generation and their mentors. If you want to make a career impact in your family firm, David provides the well-lit pathway.
Steve McClure, PhD
Chairman, The Family Business Consulting Group
I have known David in a business capacity for over 30 years. He possesses a rare combination of academic wisdom and practical experience. During his career, he has acquired a breadth of knowledge and experience as an executive and advisor. In his latest book, Dear Younger Me , he offers successors both insight and inspiration.
Tom Chambers
President, Senior Partner Service Ltd.
David’s candid self-disclosure provides valuable “lessons learned” from his personal experience as a family enterprise successor. The challenges he has faced have resulted in him developing a level of humility and empathy that is rare. By willingly sharing his journey and insights he has helped many families to improve both their communications and their relationships.
Marjorie Engle
Principal, Engle Advisory Services; FFI Fellow
David has that rare ability to anticipate the needs of his clients, as well as the gifted capacity to guide a family business through unsettling waters while confronting the elephants in the room. He does all this with grace, humility, and a deep sense of caring. He has been, and continues to be, an invaluable and trusted mentor for our family.
J. Lyn Bannister
Founder, Bannister Automotive Group
David has been an awesome facilitator and succession planning advisor, working with our family for over a decade. His new book provides wisdom and insight for all next-gen successors.
Greg Simpson
President & CEO, Simpson Seeds Inc.
David, as always, is very generous with his wisdom—a captivating wisdom garnered through his own extraordinary family business experience together with the years of working with other dynamic business families. The reflections and insights shared in Dear Younger Me are truly an inspiration and a road map for the next generation of business family leaders.
Bill Brushett
President & CEO, Family Enterprise Xchange
I have known David for over 40 years; during this time, I have witnessed first-hand his unwavering integrity, empathy, and wisdom. These personal traits, together with his education and experience, are unparalleled in our country. Combining all this with an ability to authentically self-reflect allows him to provide valuable insights for any family business.
Donald Carson
Principal, Carson Automotive Group
David has given his life to the service of family companies. Because of his dedication and a willingness to share his first-hand experience, he has been a great benefit to many. In this unique and very challenging field, I could not recommend anyone more highly.
Bob Gaglardi
Founder & Chairman, Sandman Hotels & Northland Properties
David is a caring individual who has given a great deal of his time to charitable causes and the teaching of family business skills to our community. He is one of British Columbia’s most prominent leaders.
David G. McLean, OBC, LLD, FICD
Chairman, The McLean Group, & Chairman Emeritus of Canadian National Railway Company
Dear Younger Me is more than an inspired reflection on life, learning, and success. It is a guidebook for a life path filled with discovery, connection, and growth. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to find a better path.
John A. Davis
Founder & Chairman, Cambridge Family Enterprise Group
David is a master storyteller, and thanks to his invaluable experience as an owner, a thought leader, and a trusted advisor, he now provides us with a priceless resource for family enterprise successors. The wisdom he offers combines his life experience and best practices to stretch our minds and provoke “the change from inside out.” His book is a must read for every learning family!
Olivier de Richoufftz
General Secretary, Family Enterprise Foundation

DEAR YOUNGER ME…
WISDOM FOR FAMILY ENTERPRISE SUCCESSORS
Copyright ©2020 David C. Bentall
All rights reserved
ISBN 978–1-988928–12-8 Soft Cover
ISBN 978–1-988928–12-2 Ebook
Published by: Castle Quay Books
Burlington, ON, Canada | Jupiter, FL, USA
Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail] | www.castlequaybooks.com
Edited by Marina Hofman Willard
Book interior and cover layout by Burst Impressions
Interior illustrations, charts and cover illustrations by www.foundcreative.ca
Images of John Wooden and the Pyramid of Success courtesy of John R. Wooden™ owned and licensed by John Wooden Legacy LLC, c/o Luminary Group LLC
Printed in Canada
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the publishers.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: Dear younger me... : wisdom for family enterprise successors / David C. Bentall.
Names: Bentall, David C., 1955- author.
Identifiers: Canadiana 20200164902 | ISBN 9781988928128 (softcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Family-owned business enterprises. | LCSH: Family-owned business enterprises—
Succession.
Classification: LCC HD62.25 .B46 2020 | DDC 658/.045—dc23

To my wife, Alison.
Your selfless love for me and our family amazes and inspires me.
I couldn’t have asked for more support or a better cheerleader while working on this project.
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to make my life truly blessed.
I love you with all my heart.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword : Ruth Steverlynck, LLB Hons, FEA
Preface
I The Bentall Family Story
1. Aspiring to Lead
2. Working Together as Family
3. Struggling with Succession
II Wisdom for Successors
1. Family Enterprise Distinctives
2. Perspectives on Succession
3. Preparing for Leadership
III Transforming Your Leadership
1. Humility: Getting Out of Your Own Wa y
2. Curiosity: Discovering the Doorway to Innovation
3. Listening: Accessing the Wisdom All Around You
4. Empathy: The Power to Connect with Others
5. Forgiveness: The Secret to Living Free
6. Gratitude: Discovering the Magic in Every Day
7. Critical Thinking: Assessing Options Rather Than Criticizing Others
8. Patience: Waiting Without Frustration
9. Contentment: The Pathway to Poise and Focus
IV Wisdom from Successors
1. Adrian Fluevog (Fluevog Shoes): “Humility Is More Than Just A Nice Idea”
2. Laura Kusisto (Kenroc Building Supplies): “Curiosity Creates A Career”
3. Andrew Williams (North Prairie Developments): “Listening Makes A Leader”
4. Michelle Jones-Ruppel (West Coast Auto Group): “Empathy in A Man’s World”
5. Shaun Plotkin (Plotkin Health): “Forgiveness Is a Willingness to Let Go”
6. Erik Brinkman (Brinkman Reforestation): “Finding Gratitude in the Amazon”
7. Breanne Ramsay (Britt Land & Engagement): “Hard on Issues/ Soft on People”
8. Ellisha Mott (Mott Electric): “Patience Is A Deliberate Choice”
9. MeiLi Coon (Trilogy Excursions): “Pursuing Your Passion Leads to Contentment”
V Exemplary Leaders & Role Models
1. Benjamin Franklin: Choosing to Cultivate Humility
2. Albert Einstein: Insatiable Curiosity
3. Gandhi: Leading by Listening
4. Mother Teresa: Changing the World With Empathy
5. Nelson Mandela: Forgiveness on A Grand Scale
6. Kim Phuc: Gratitude Rises from the Horrors of War
7. Walt Disney: Critical Thinking and the Magic Kingdom
8. John Wooden: A Dynasty Founded on Patience
9. Helen Keller: Contentment in Spite of Circumstances
VI Help Along the Way
1. Taking Action
2. Assessments & Mentoring
Appendix : Corrie ten Boom on Forgiveness
Endnotes
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book rests on the shoulders of many colleagues and friends, the many individuals who have truly lifted me up, both in my personal life and in my professional career; the people who have enriched my life by teaching, mentoring, and inspiring me and by being exemplary role models. It is their collective wisdom and insight that have sponsored my pursuit of the nine virtues explored in this book. I am profoundly grateful for their support on this highly personal journey towards greater emotional intelligence.
HELPING ME AS AN EXECUTIVE
To