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The 2018 U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth® study asked nearly one thousand high-net-worth individuals about their approach to building wealth and the extent to which they are using it to achieve their goals and support the causes they care about most. The study found that while wealth provides the freedom to do more, it also brings increased obligations, expectations and demands.

Sustaining wealth across multiple generations require more than financial planning. Interrelated and building off one another, 25 non-financial best governance practices have been identified as having a positive impact on the ultimate success of sustaining wealth for enterprise families.

Communication is found to be the most important factor for cohesion in families and sustainability of family wealth. As one of the key tenets to happy, healthy, and thriving families, it is essential for family members to dedicate the effort necessary to become better communicators. Practicing effective communications—including being open and listening empathetically—will go a long way in building strong relationships, especially for families who work together around shared ownership of family assets.

Every family has secrets and difficult stories—the “skeletons in the closet”—that they would rather not share. While most professionals agree that exposing skeletons to daylight is a good thing and can foster healthier family dynamics, one must be sensitive to the potential emotional impact of these stories on individuals within a family and proceed tactfully. When families explore their history and let the skeletons out and watch them dance, it can help current family members clarify their values and recognize that amends can be made.

The number and scope of women-owned businesses have risen at an unprecedented rate. In an era of new opportunities, this paper profiles eight courageous and resilient women who share their personal stories and the lessons they learned building successful businesses. One theme that emerged from these women’s stories was the critical role of mentorship; another key factor was access to capital.

Research indicates that multigenerational involvement is the single most important factor in sustaining family wealth into the third generation and beyond. Furthermore, the families that most successfully integrate younger members into their family operations seem to share the same philosophies and core values. It’s a family enterprise mindset that prepares the rising generation to be able to step in immediately and manage the family’s financial assets, run the enterprises, and preserve the culture and legacy.

When the only tie that binds a family together is sharing business ownership, chances are the Family Enterprise will struggle to remain family-owned and intact for successive generations. However, when the family and the Family Enterprise are mutually supportive, the opportunity for sustainability is greatly enhanced. By taking a family-centric approach and applying a “Family Accord” framework—one that is based on structure, communication, and consensus—families can enjoy far greater odds of long-term success with their Family Enterprise.

One of the most common concerns families have revolves around how to share wealth with family members without encouraging entitlement. With forethought and care, giving well and wisely can bring families together and strengthen the bonds between generations. The steps to giving wisely—and fostering flourishing over entitlement—include clarifying your intentions, understanding your recipients, communicating more rather than less, and letting go of what you cannot control.

Parents often find it difficult to discuss their wealth with their children, especially when it comes to what will happen to their wealth when they die. But when parents do not clearly detail their intentions or prepare their children to receive the family’s wealth, they risk outcomes that will meaningfully erode the value of their estate. Fortunately for every family there are key steps—from opening the lines of communication early to considering the value of an impartial trustee—that can help with successfully transferring the family wealth from generation to generation.

At the start of a family enterprise journey, there is often a patriarch (or matriarch) who was both an entrepreneur and a leader who overcame uncertainty or adversity to create something very special with the potential to last for many generations. For the families seeking to sustain their legacies, there will come a time for the patriarchs to move forward to the next phase of life—preparing for the generational transition. However, it will require a different mindset and form of leadership.