David CiambellaAll Articles
Successor Development – The 360 Slam Dunk!
As a sports enthusiast, when I hear the term "360 slam dunk," images of Michael Jordan soaring through the air high above the rim in a Chicago Bulls jersey flash through my mind, which I assume is the case for some of you as well. Unfortunately, this article is not about how to do a 360 dunk a la Michael Jordan but rather the benefit of utilizing a 360 Assessment as a successor preparation tool. The utilization of a 360 Assessment to help identify leadership gaps and coaching opportunities for prospective successors can be an invaluable tool. Testing your successor [...]
How to Hire the Right People
Regardless of what business you are in, you and your business are only as good as the people that work for you. This sentiment has been shared with me consistently over the past seventeen years regardless of where I have traveled in the United States or the type of family business I have been engaged with at any given time. Recently I attended a local Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) event in Orlando titled “2012 Smart Awards” which recognizes companies in Central Florida that have distinguished themselves culturally, creatively and through the economic impact they have made in the community. [...]
How Financial Independence Can Impact Succession and Growth Goals
We live in the greatest country in the world! As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I thought it would be an appropriate time to reflect upon how fortunate we are to be Americans. Each day when we wake up, we have the freedom to choose how we will invest our time, talents and treasure. Thanks to God and our fellow Americans who have gone before us and who have made the ultimate sacrifice to provide us this luxury, we have the ability to make choices each day. Some of us choose to invest our time, talent and treasures pursuing [...]
Family and Business – Have You Been A Cheater?
Recently a friend shared a book with me titled Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley. Choosing to Cheat is a quick read, but it is very intriguing and prompted me to do a little introspection. The author begins the book by stating that everyone cheats. Now before you wonder why a succession planner is talking to you about cheating, please let me explain. This is a book about what can happen when family and business collide. Cheating in the context of this book refers to giving up one thing in favor of another. Each day we make choices with regard [...]
Living in Dad’s Shadow
“My father is so good at everything he does. Everything he touches seems to turn into gold. He is revered by his employees and respected in the community. I am not sure I will ever be as good as my father!” These were recent sentiments shared with me by the child of a successful business owner. Have you ever wondered what it would be like being a son or daughter in a successful family-owned business? On one hand, the perception is that it is such a blessing since business success affords the opportunity to enjoy some of the finer things [...]
Effective Leadership – Hub and Spoke Eventually Chokes
Last year while reading the Orlando Business Journal I came across a one liner that read, “the sign of a good leader is when the business runs as smoothly when the leader is in the business as when he or she is out of the business.” As a succession planning professional dedicated to impacting lives and perpetuating family business legacies, this quote resonated with me. While it occurred to me that the title of this article sounds like a quote from Johnny Cochran, the hub and spoke approach to management and leadership impedes the business’ ability to operate smoothly when [...]
