Why does it take so long for the family business to actually accept the new CEO?

Because decades of muscle memory don't disappear overnight. Kris Kluver, in The Dysfunctional Family Office, names this directly. The founder had been the company's primary point of contact, the decision-maker, and the gravitational center for years. The Old Guard, especially long-tenured executives like Brett and Frank, clung to that gravity. No matter what Robert said on day one, things quietly slid back into the well-worn grooves within weeks. The biggest client kept calling Robert directly. The CFO and attorney brought a credit line decision to Robert without including Gail. The pattern isn't malice. It's muscle memory. The fix is consistent enforcement of the new structure for at least six months. Every end-run gets redirected. Every old habit gets called out gently. Slowly the new pattern sets. The team adjusts to whoever is consistently in the chair, but it takes longer than most new CEOs expect.