Where History Still Drives How Decisions Get Made
I had the chance to walk 1.5 miles through NYC last week with Neil McDonough.
Neil and I first worked together in the ’80s and early ’90s at FLEXcon in Worcester, Massachusetts — my hometown — with his father Myles. That period shaped how I learned to think about building a business and supporting a market over the long term. Myles was one of the most important mentors in my career.
Over the years Neil and I have worked together in several different ways: building parts of a business, developing complementary solutions for the same market, and later working together again when I became a customer. The conversations have always been direct about the situations in front of us. This walk was no different.
What stood out to me was how natural the conversation felt, even after all these years.
Good businesses evolve. Leadership changes. Markets shift. But the essence of a company often stays more consistent than people expect, especially across a generational transition.
Family businesses experience this in a very direct way. Some dynamics aren’t always visible from the outside. At the same time, when contribution is recognized clearly across both family and non-family leaders, loyalty builds in ways that last for decades.
Where is your organization’s history still influencing how decisions get made today?
Now we just need to decide whether the next walk happens back in Worcester… or in Dublin for a round of golf. ⛳🚶♂️
