In this episode, co-hosts James Grieve and Ashka Wirk are joined by Ryan Markewich, an advocate for open-book cultures and transparent leadership. Ryan discusses how open-book leadership builds trust, drives alignment, and prepares family and founder-led businesses for long-term success and smooth succession. He shares strategies for overcoming founder resistance to transparency,connecting open-book practices to succession readiness, and using openness as a performance multiplier. Through real-world examples, Ryan highlights how transparency encourages employees to think like owners, strengthens alignment between family goals and business results, and reduces founder dependency.