Key Takeaways

• Shared responsibility strengthens long-term enterprise value. Just as a Thanksgiving race relies on volunteers, organizers, and supporters, family businesses thrive because of the shared contributions of employees, customers, advisors, and communities. When leaders acknowledge the collective contributions of stakeholders, they reinforce the systems and relationships that sustain enterprise value across generations.
• A gratitude-driven leadership mindset improves governance and reduces friction. Embedding gratitude into family business leadership encourages clearer communication, healthier family dynamics, and aligned decision-making. Strong governance and reduced conflict creates a strong platform for long-term success.
• Trust and consistency build transferable value across generations. Trust grows through steady, reliable behavior, and it’s essential for generational continuity. Consistent communication and shared values become a family business’s core advantage and the foundation of its multigenerational resilience.

---

Every Thanksgiving morning, before the turkey goes in the oven and the Macy’s Day Parade begins, thousands of Nashvillians lace up their running shoes for the Boulevard Bolt. This five-mile race down Belle Meade Boulevard has become a beloved tradition, not just for exercise or camaraderie, but because it supports Nashville’s homeless population.

In just a few days, I’ll join the crowd once again for the 32^nd annual Bolt, surrounded by families, neighbors, and friends, all gathered for a common purpose (and debating whether it’s really “fun” to run in 30-degree weather…). There is something special at the starting line: a sense of community, generosity, and gratitude that seems to kick off the holiday season.

While the Boulevard Bolt is a Nashville tradition, similar scenes will unfold across the country this Thanksgiving. From big-city Turkey Trots to small-town fun runs, these races bring people together in the best possible way, serving as a reminder that when we move with purpose, we move forward together. It is also a lesson that may resonate deeply with family business leaders.

A Metaphor for Shared Responsibility

No one finishes a Thanksgiving Day race alone. Volunteers hand out water, neighbors cheer from porches, and organizers spend months planning behind the scenes. Every runner, walker, and sponsor contributes to something larger.

Family businesses are similar. They thrive because of the trust and commitment of their employees, customers, suppliers, as well as the communities they serve. For directors and family business leaders, it’s an important reminder that stewardship isn’t just about maintaining profits or control, it’s about recognizing the interdependence that sustains success.

When family businesses embrace that broader sense of community, they strengthen both their legacy and their resilience. Just as a Thanksgiving race depends on countless unseen contributors, so too does every enterprise that endures across generations.

Gratitude as a Leadership Mindset

Thanksgiving invites reflection. For a family business, gratitude is more than a seasonal feeling, it can be a leadership mindset. It means recognizing the people and systems that make the organization work: the employee who quietly keeps operations running, the next-generation leader taking on new challenges, or the advisor helping to bridge transition.

When gratitude is embedded in governance, it fosters humility, collaboration, and communication. Boardroom discussions become more productive, family dynamics soften, and decision-making aligns around shared purpose. Gratitude isn’t passive; it’s an active form of stewardship that strengthens both relationships and results.

Building Trust Mile by Mile

Events like the Boulevard Bolt succeed because of trust. Runners trust the organizers and the cause, donors trust their contributions will make a difference, and the community trusts that the event will bring people together safely and meaningfully.

Family business directors also rely on trust, with shareholders, employees, customers, and one another. Trust enables continuity and a consistent, focused strategy across generations. Similar to a race, trust is built mile by mile, through consistent communication, reliability, and shared values.

Successful family businesses don’t just manage assets; they build relationships and communities which become their greatest advantage when challenges arise.

In it for the Long Run

As we head into Thanksgiving, I encourage family business leaders to take a moment and

• Reflect on who makes your success possible.
• Recognize those contributions in tangible ways.
• Reinvest in the community that supports you.
• Reaffirm the shared values that unite your family and your enterprise.

Whether you’re running the Bolt, walking a Turkey, or cheering from the sidelines, Thanksgiving reminds us that leadership is not a singular effort. It’s about moving forward together.

And in the long run, gratitude, community, and trust is what sustains both families and businesses — mile after mile, generation after generation.