Then you need to know decoding dual language

"The search for a new CEO could bring the family to challenge its principles and to review its strategy of independence," predicted the JP Morgan Bank following the announcement of the departure of Jean-Martin Folz. The latter had yet been renewed in 2004 and for four years at the head of PSA Peugeot Citroën, still detained with 30 of the capital and 40 of the vote by the founding family. At the time of some do not hesitate to advance a divergence of views and to raise the thorny issue of the delicate relations between leaders recruited outside the family clan and the family holder of power.

"The family shareholders are the standards of modern management and recruit non-professionals from their ranks." However, they must keep in mind that they are only ever strategic operational drivers. "And it is all the more disturbing that, in the appearances, is to suggest the contrary," says a former operational leader. So that the rare bird to acclimatize to such an environment is never easy to find. "Whatever the size and the nationality of the Corporation, the qualities of loyalty and ethics are essential as is the reputation of a family that is at stake" complete Henry de Montebello, a partner at Russell Reynolds. "And nothing is ever won because it is not uncommon that a candidate tape in the eye of a family but that once in Office, it please more," complete a specialist financial analyst of the luxury sector. And to discuss, among other examples, Fabrice Boé, a former of l ' Oréal now boss of Prisma press, named in 2002 branch of Hermès International but party of the group as early as July 2003. Since then, Patrick Thomas, another foreigner to the Dumas family but from the professional Seraglio, is at the head of the group.

Decode the doublespeak

In all cases, that the registry should take, a number of conditions are required. First, the professional who joins a family group must identify well which is the actual pattern and understand that the latter may have different visions of the power of manager classic. "It can not find interest in developing a business and not have to say why," warned former leader operational. Then, you need to know decoding dual language. "A difficult exercise to a secret shareholder who said never nothing directly", continues the same witness.

Another of the sine qua non-through the psychological balance. Those who have a calm Olympian to be able, if necessary, argue foot to foot and not feel challenged by critics who seem sometimes unfair. However, not easy to find a balance to a man or a clan that, ultimately, whatever happens, will always right! "Even for high level of delegation, the interference of the family shareholder were frequent," recalls a CEO of SMEs once integrated into a group of the CAC 40. "The phone could ring up to twenty-two times a day!".

The money is not everything

Another essential element: money. "These managers are, in General, very well paid and completely private companies practice even a wage policy much more generous than their counterparts of the SBF 120 and the CAC 40," noted Henry de Montebello. But money is not everything. "Much external recruits are interested in working with exceptional personalities in their eyes;" "of the anonymous and great patron of SMEs to a Bernard Arnault, a Vincent Bolloré or a François Pinault", says former leader operational. "The kind of charismatic personality and requiring extreme, able to take measured risks, at the same time, to be very cautious in the long term and to which one learns much."

In return, must be integrated in the daily work, the irrationality of the relationships between members of a same family. And this is true of an SME as a MittalSteel, where a Committee of management of eighteen members was appointed in early September but where no one knows yet how will organize governance in a group whose capital remains family majority and where the father and son occupy key positions. However, too limited growth prospects grow the more ambitious "external" managers to go elsewhere, like a Carlos Goshn who left Michelin.

It should therefore never to deceive: strategic initiatives are always made by the family. "It is never that great clerk of a family...". ", prevents a leader. Essential to the success of family businesses, the added value of the "external" leader remains inextricably linked to three other elements: a high quality of products, the ability to displace the incompetent members of a family and, most importantly, a sense of the concept of saga.