If an executive has not quite achieved what he had hoped, he often wants the opportunity to stay in the game. Rather than a graceful transition, the succession process can become a war. The parties to such a combat, however, should remember Winston Churchill's warning to the House of Commons: "If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future Fortunately, many business owners manage to face succession planning- courageously, openly, and early. And because entrepreneurial succession is perhaps the most critical issue for family-business continuity, were keenly interested in the makeup and background of those who doIf an executive has not quite achieved what he had hoped, he often wants the opportunity to stay in the game. Rather than a graceful transition, the succession process can become a war. The parties to such a combat, however, should remember Winston Churchill's warning to the House of Commons: “If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future.” Fortunately, many business owners manage to face succession planning — courageously, openly, and early. And because entrepreneurial succession is perhaps the most critical issue for family-business continuity, we're keenly interested in the makeup and background of those who do