Dual Personalities

One of the interesting things about this industry is the relationships behind the companies. Whether it’s parent and child, siblings, best friends or husbands and wives, lots of businesses on both the retail and manufacturing side are run by people who have long histories together. While an arrangement like this might be scary for some, in most cases it seems to work. One thing I’ve noticed lately is there’s typically a good cop and a bad copy. Recently I polled a few exec teams I know to find out which role they play. It’s funny to find out how they see themselves. ("I’m the nice one," they’ll eagerly announce, before admitting that without someone to wield the iron fist, they’d be lost.) Depending on whether the situation calls for a soft touch or a stern stance, each partner knows when it’s best for the other to take the lead. Together they’re able to preserve outside relationships and make the tough decisions. How about you? Are you the good cop or the bad cop?