ASSOCIATES
Family Legacies' Associates are leaders in their respective fields including; Financial Planning, Wealth & Risk Management, Auditing & Business Turnarounds, Corporate & Commercial Law as well as Professional Coaching & Facilitation, combined with Family Business Consulting expertise, to provide our clients with a professional and integrated multi-disciplinary service.
DU TOIT VAN DEN BERG
JEANDRE DU TOIT
LOUIS STROEBEL
DEBBIE MARTIN
Financial Planning, Wealth
& Risk Management
Auditing, Company Structuring
& Business Turnarounds
Corporate & Commercial Law
Professional Coach & Facilitator
FAMILY VALUES, MISSION & VISION STATEMENTS
The philosophical foundation of every enduring family enterprise.
Most family businesses underestimate the power of clearly articulated values, a shared mission, and a unifying vision. These statements are not decorative words on paper — they are anchors that connect generations, guide decision-making, and preserve the essence of what the family stands for.
Understanding a family’s values, clarifying a family’s mission, and articulating a clear vision are among the defining differences between families that prosper for generations and those that fragment after one.
When a family defines these elements together, it transforms how both the family and the business think, act, and plan for the future.
FAMILY VALUES – THE FOUNDATION OF CULTURE
A Family Values Statement defines the principles that bind the family together and underpin its relationship with the business. These values form the emotional and ethical architecture of the enterprise — shaping its culture, decisions, and the behaviour of future generations.
Well-defined values help families to:
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Strengthen trust and cohesion across generations
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Inspire purpose, discipline, and integrity within the business
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Provide a shared compass for leadership and decision-making
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Encourage humility, service, and accountability
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Support a long-term stewardship mindset
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Sustain the family’s reputation and contribution to society
Values are not inherited; they are cultivated through intention, example, and conversation.
FAMILY MISSION – WHY WE ARE IN BUSINESS TOGETHER
A Family Mission Statement expresses the deeper purpose of the family’s enterprise — the why behind the work and the wealth. It articulates how the family wishes to use its collective resources, talents, and influence to create value for both the business and society.
The family mission answers two essential questions:
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Why are we in business together?
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What impact do we want to have as a family?
A strong mission provides meaning beyond profit — aligning business success with the family’s well-being, relationships, and legacy.
When a family business loses sight of its mission, the enterprise may survive, but the sense of shared purpose that sustains it will not.
FAMILY VISION – IMAGINING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
A Family Vision Statement projects what the family aspires to become — not only in wealth or influence, but in relationships, wisdom, and contribution. It invites each generation to imagine their great-grandchildren living with purpose, unity, and gratitude for the opportunities being created today.
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
— GREEK PROVERB
A family vision is a long view — a shared understanding of where the family is heading, and why it matters. It defines the horizon and creates energy, momentum, and excitement for the road ahead, while keeping every generation aligned toward a common, positive future.
A clear family vision:
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Lays out an intention and expectation for the family’s preferred culture
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Articulates the underlying values that guide decisions across generations
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Inspires unity between family members, business leaders, and stakeholders
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Encourages stewardship and gratitude over entitlement
Visions are meant to pull — not push. They remind each generation that the purpose of legacy is not to preserve the past, but to prepare the future.
HOW FAMILY LEGACIES SUPPORTS THIS WORK
At Family Legacies, we help families articulate their Values, Mission, and Vision Statements through structured workshops and guided reflection. These conversations often form the foundation for broader governance design, family constitutions, and succession plans — ensuring that what the family believes is embedded in what the family builds.
Together, these statements become the philosophical core of Legacy Design — the bridge between meaning and method, purpose and practice.