Skip to main content

Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves in Three Generations?

Wayne Rivers
By Wayne Rivers
8 minutes
Last Updated April 16, 2025

Researcher James Grubman wrote in the periodical Globe Law and Business about a cliché we have all heard: “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.” He analyzes the academic pursuits which attempted to quantify this phenomenon and has some interesting observations. Is it true? Do successful entrepreneurial enterprises really rise and fall so predictably over a lifespan of just three generations?

Please tune in this week as Wayne discusses Grubman’s article and reveals why the cliché may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Wayne also notes that Grubman may be the first writer outside of Performance Construction Advisors to note the overwhelming myopia of the financial and academic presses on OWNERSHIP succession to the exclusion of all other succession considerations. Do Grubman’s finding strike you as accurate? Please share your reactions with us at [email protected]

We are just a month away from the next Contractor Business Boot Camp class. This is one-of-a-kind leadership development program that will be a game changer for your rising high-potential leaders where they will get an opportunity learn the skills needed to run a successful construction companies from peers and industry experts alike. The class starts on May 14th in Raleigh, NC. Contact Charlotte today at [email protected] to find out more.

Related articles

The Eight Things You Must Have to Sell Your Company

Late last year, Wayne did a webinar for bankers who work with contractors. One of the presenters, a distinguished gentleman named Kurt Knutson, presented his “Eight Things You Must Have to Sell Your Company.”

Related articles

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying

Listening to a podcast featuring author Bronnie Ware really caught our attention. She was a palliative care nurse who spent a great deal of time with people nearing the end of life and drew powerful lessons from her experience.

Related articles

The Executive's Guide to Saving Ten Hours per Week

When a headline like that one pops into your email, you have to stand up and take notice! The CEO Network Daily Briefing of 12-1-25 featured a downloadable report from a company called Belay which catalogued three specific time drains that, once addressed, might save you up to ten hours each week.

Subscribe for updates