Why does handing the business to my kids feel impossible even though I want to?

Many founders genuinely want to hand the company to their kids and still find the actual transition impossible to execute. The reason is that stepping back feels like loss, even when you've planned for it for years. Identity, daily purpose, the dopamine of being the decision-maker, all of it walks out the door at the same time. Kris Kluver opens The Dysfunctional Family Office with Ben Christoff, a private equity founder who thought stepping back would be a victory lap. Instead his kids almost walked, his wife was furious, and his team almost mutinied. What was missing wasn't intent. It was the work of separating the founder's identity from the company's future.