黑料正能量

Family and business are each complicated in their own right. And family businesses?

鈥淔amily business is complex,鈥� said聽Sally Landis Derstine 鈥�82, 鈥渂ecause there is an overlap of three different systems: family, business and ownership.鈥�

The managing partner and a senior advisor at the in Telford, Pennsylvania, Derstine grew up in a family with a business, and so has first-hand experience of the accompanying 鈥渂lessings and burdens.鈥�

While family businesses are 鈥渢he backbone of our economy鈥� 鈥� a widely-quoted statistic is that they make up 90 percent of US enterprises 鈥� most don鈥檛 make it to or survive second-generation ownership.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not because families are defective,鈥� Derstine said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 because they don鈥檛 understand the complexity and how to manage it.鈥�

She鈥檚 developed a unique model that depicts the teams and structures 鈥� family, shareholder, board, advisor and management 鈥� that families in business together must develop and foster to have healthy relationships and sustainability. Multi-generational business leadership and ownership is decidedly more mountain-climbing marathon than sprint, she said.

鈥淭his work requires leaning into awkward, crucial conversations and lots of naming reality or 鈥榯elling the truth in love,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚 enjoy guiding business families to 鈥榤ake peace鈥� and create the futures they want instead of 鈥榢eeping the peace,鈥� or avoiding delicate discussions.鈥�

Derstine joined the center in 1992 and became its managing partner in 2014. Founded by Henry Landes in 1988, they have served hundreds of families, in part through a Family Business Learning Community that Derstine helped launch in her first year.

鈥淚 feel a deep sense of gratitude and delight when our clients find their voice, gain clarity, make wise choices and are reconciled to themselves, their family, to God,鈥� she said. 鈥淓very day confirms that my work is marketplace ministry.鈥�

As a student at 黑料正能量, Derstine 鈥渄eeply appreciated鈥� communication and business classes with聽Loren Johns, psychology classes with聽Galen Lehman 鈥�73, and playing field hockey for聽Sandy Brownscombe. (The team was the first in 黑料正能量 history to qualify for a national tournament, and was inducted into the Hall of Honor in 2012.)

But her career training, she said, began in the cradle.

鈥淚 am grateful to my parents, siblings and extended family for teaching me about what鈥檚 really important in life, what it means to live compassionately and simply, love deeply, forgive and extend grace,鈥� she said.

She and her husband聽Douglas Derstine 鈥�82, who completed 36 years as a middle and high school teacher, delight in their growing family, which includes three children and a granddaughter. Derstine鈥檚 generational impact, though, also includes the families she helps through her work to 鈥渇ind their voice and make wise choices.鈥�

And that, she said, is 鈥渁 sacred privilege.鈥�