95 2016 being taken over by women after being left out of the organizations that their parents had created for years. These were businesses taken over by men. Family businesses in Brazil have a long history, perhaps as long as the country itself, as the first businesses were farms donated by feudal lords, in a time when hereditary businesses were subdivided, before the birth of industry. However, only recently have women been involved in the succession of family businesses. Family businesses are one of the main sources of jobs in Brazil, with two million direct jobs and a significant share in GDP (according to BNDES, a state-owned development bank, family businesses account for 34% of the industry).Women began to take over as heirs only 15 years ago. One of the main problems in a family organization is the succession process, the transition between the father (founder) and the second generation, usually because the patriarch is engaged in the perpetuation of his business, to which he is devoted day and night for most of his life. Founders do not want their companies to disappear after their death. Their dream is to have a livelihood for generations to come, and this is the legacy he will leave. The biggest problem in succession comes when the founder’s dream is not shared by their son (and heir) - but what if the father’s dream is shared by his daughter? The most important factor for this to happen is to believe in the potential and capacity of women in the family succession process. Today, daughters are qualified and prepared, and in having a greater affinity with the founders they very easily take on the culture of management, understanding the leadership model and its importance in the company’s future. Women have more tact and sensitivity in dealing with family disagreements. The positive aspects that a woman can offer management of a family business are tied into the fact that women successors very often see their fathers as heroes. Women can manage with greater dexterity, as they perfectly assimilate the values that sustain the company. They understand the power of credibility and keeping their word because they had most interaction with the founder, besides the intuition and sensitivity required to make decisions. Women successors, like any woman in the job market, will find barriers and obstacles in their way. These include the question of how to behave, as social and cultural aspects refer to the male stereotype as corporate leaders, as well as conflicts between business roles and interpersonal relationships. A survey shows that only 27% of women expect to enter a family business. Among the reasons they gave for joining the company are: helping the family, taking a position that no one wants, and dissatisfaction with another job. Another factor identified is that the women surveyed had not planned to get into the family businesses. They did so just to support the family during a crisis, or because the other options on the market were even more undesirable. Family succession must be planned in advance with the founder because there is no one better to pass on the values and culture of the institution, as well as all their knowledge when the heir needs to face crises, the illness or even death of the founder - which could upset the balance of the family business. Nicolas George Hayek, the head of Swatch watches, suffered a sudden heart attack in his office in Switzerland and died at the age of 82, and his daughter Nayla Hayek took over the empire her father had built. The decision to put a daughter in a position of great responsibility, such as a director of the company, is often a matter of survival and a way for the company to continue for future generations, as women have been taking over strategic positions for the future of businesses for 15 years. The identity of a family business, therefore, is built on four pillars, which were adopted by the founder at the beginning of the business, namely: Trust / Credibility Perseverance Charisma / Leadership Culture Guaranteeing the continuation of these pillars and passing them on to successors is the primary means to keep a family business going, which is the dream of the founder. Women have the competence and drive to realize this dream.
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