How to overcome the unique challenges of running a family business
Williams F1 was an ever-present part of the family and an incredible test of my abilities

How to overcome the unique challenges of running a family business

As Father's Day approaches, it's the ideal time to reflect on how family shapes us - not only in our personal lives but also professionally.

The Williams F1 Team was like a part of the family - as if it was a brother or sister and you were responsible for looking after them. It's an experience shared by anyone in the position of running a family enterprise.

It's a position of so many nuances, from the inevitable nepotism perception to the inability to leave work behind when you leave the office for the day.

It's important not to allow nepotism critiques to cloud your judgement. It's far more nuanced than people believe.

Individuals build businesses with the dream of handing them down to their children.

There is a long history of businesses remaining in the family and ultimately being successful, so a lot of the commentary can be redundant, and, fundamentally, you can disprove it by doing a good job.

In my position, I was fortunate that my whole family lived and breathed Williams, so when I was offered the Deputy Team Principal role, I could talk about the opportunity with my mother – and I'll never forget our talk.

She understood the implications and sacrifices that come from running the team in a way no one else could, giving me a unique perspective that helped in the early days.

"I felt a sense of duty to the team when I started, it was my dad's legacy, and it was challenging to have the team in a difficult position."

It can be tempting for people to arrive in a senior position and immediately want to stamp their mark on it, making sweeping changes to show who's in charge, but I don't believe it works.

I always thought 'What would my father do?'. I never wanted to change anything that didn't need changing, but, of course, the team needed to evolve and adapt to the times. Effectively, it was about regenerating the team and putting it back on track.?

I wouldn't dream of describing it as following in his footsteps, as what he achieved was extraordinary, but I had to be confident in my capabilities as there were people in the team who had known me since the age of four. I was very conscious that I had to earn their respect, and rightly so – it should never be a given.

It wasn't just internal pressure, either. I was now attending Strategy Group meetings and needed to be viewed as more than 'Frank's daughter'. Plus, there was the usual noise on social media, a lot of negativity.

That pressure remained throughout my almost eight years running Williams.

You have to win people over; there's no point shying away from that. Actions speak louder than words, and success in 2014 - third place in the Constructors' Standings - was key in that process.

The crucial advice I can share, particularly when starting as a family business successor, is to not have an ego. You have a great opportunity, but you also have limitations, and it's important to be self-aware enough to recognise it and build the right network around you.

Equally, there are positives to the pressure. Unlike other Team Principals on the grid, I wasn't answering to a CEO - I could make the choices I believed in.

Never be afraid of making your mark, but always respect the past. You will need to change and evolve the business but bring people along with you. In my case, I worked hard at transformation across processes, resources, policies, procedures and operations.

All while keeping the heart of what Williams and my dad built through a rebuilt team culture.

It's a long journey and an extraordinary test of your capabilities, but the opportunity to step up and continue a family legacy is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have.

Simon Heywood

SmartFlower Brand & Sustainability Ambassador

1 年

Clare, I am sure Frank would have been so proud to hear about your new journey with Andrew and the FFI team, I was with the FMG Hetitage field team for 15years in the Pilbara and are now the CEO for Smartflower Solar here in Australia, jope you enjoy your Fortescue journey as much as I did ??

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Peter McMorris

Managing Director at Peter McMorris Consulting Limited

1 年

Great set of articles Claire. And a very nice picture with Frank and the family. Hope all is going well with the WAE role!

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Tatum Mandy

Motorsport.com Social Media Manager ??? | Open to new opportunities within marketing, communications and events!

1 年

A great read Claire! Running a business already comes with its challenges but add family into the mix & you have a whole new set of challenges to navigate!

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Such a lovely picture Claire, thanks for sharing your perspective!

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Richard Brady

Application Development Technical Service Manager (EMEA) - Additive Manufacturing at Stratasys

1 年

Taking on the role of the team principal means that you have to understand and encourage every role within the team and ideally have many trusted advisors who will tell you the truth about what is happening within the team from the very basic roles in the shopfloor right up to the senior designers then with the correct information and being able to evaluate and judge what would be the best path forward. This is a skill that Frank had, and I can see that you were embracing the skill and developing as a team principal. Unfortunately the team was at this time was underfunded and could not develop the infrastructure and car to attract investors and grow as a truly competitive team.

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