Manufactured roles drive away A-players and tank your business valuation—here's how to fix it.
When family members get plugged into leadership positions they're not qualified for, everyone suffers: the family member, the team, and ultimately your exit options. In this episode, Byron and Alex break down why these "manufactured roles" happen, how they quietly push out top talent, and what business owners (and their coaches) can do about it.
Topics covered:
- What manufactured roles look like and why parents enable them
- Why high performers leave when they see family dysfunction
- The real cost of two people doing one person's job
- How one partner buyout led to tripling revenue in six years
- Why coaches get stuck holding the "crucial conversations" hot potato
────────────────🎧 The McFarland Method helps business owners and coaches navigate succession, transferability, and exit planning.
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═══════════════════════════════════════CHAPTERS═══════════════════════════════════════
0:00 Intro0:36 What is a manufactured role?2:34 Why parents enable unqualified successors4:20 How dysfunction pushes out A-players6:00 What top talent sees in interviews8:18 The recruiting red flags11:30 Coaching through ownership accountability15:00 Case study: The partner who wouldn't perform19:09 What happened after the buyout21:00 Why owners avoid crucial conversations24:02 The accountability chart litmus test25:30 Wrap-up + Coaches community preview
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