In this powerful episode of Legacy: Navigating Family Business, Anne Bauer sits down with sixth-generation family business owner Kevin Hancock, Chairman and Managing Owner of Hancock Lumber, one of the oldest family businesses in America. Together, they explore Kevin’s unexpected leadership journey, from aspiring college basketball coach to transformative business leader.

Kevin opens up about the life-altering moment he developed spasmodic dysphonia, a rare voice disorder, during one of the most challenging economic periods for the lumber industry. What began as a personal challenge sparked a profound shift in leadership style—one that ultimately catalyzed organizational transformation.

Listeners will hear how Kevin’s decision to lean into employee empowerment, shared leadership, and decentralized decision-making turned adversity into an opportunity for deep healing—both within himself and throughout his company. This conversation is a must-listen for family business owners, operators, and anyone interested in the intersection of human-centered leadership and business resilience.

Key themes include:

• Leading a sixth-generation family business through change
• Dispersing power and cultivating voice in a legacy-driven organization
• Turning personal adversity into company-wide transformation
• Creating employee-centric cultures in multi-generational enterprises
• Business as a force for healing and human growth

🎧 Tune in and discover how trust, shared voice, and personal growth can lead to transformative leadership in your family business.

Show notes: You can learn more about Kevin’s work & writing at https://www.thebusinessofsharedleadership.com/