There is something that those of us who lead or work closely with SMEs know, even if we do not always manage to put it into words: Carlos Cleri describes it precisely in "The SME Book."
In an SME, the human element is immediate, visible, and hard to cushion. It does not hide behind a corporate posture. What in a large organization is filtered to some degree through structure, processes, evaluations, and incentives, in an SME impacts daily management directly.
That is why closeness weighs so much.
The bonds. The emotions. The stories. The loyalties.
The figure of the leader. And their family.
Not because SMEs are necessarily "less professional," but because they operate with fewer mediations. What is thought, imagined, felt, or decided shows up quickly in the system and has an impact.
Therein lies much of their complexity and also their power. The magic of human systems.
That is why applying business theory --no matter how brilliant and up-to-date it may be-- without incorporating this human reality into the process rarely works. If in a multinational it is key, in an SME it is absolutely necessary.
Not because the theory is wrong, but because it ignores the context, the culture, and the real motivations of the people who sustain the company.
In an SME: the emotional and the operational mix all the time, roles are flexible (sometimes too flexible), problems spread quickly, and the mood of the leadership defines the tone of the day.
When it is also a family business, that dynamic intensifies.
Economic logic and emotional logic coexist, as do business expectations and family expectations, past stories and desired futures.
None of that is a defect. It is the reality within which management takes place.
That is why transforming an SME does not start only with processes, organizational charts, or tools. Much less with applying software or "digital transformation."
It starts with listening, observing, and understanding. Understanding which bonds sustain the company. Which loyalties and interests are at stake. Which belief systems.
Which practices may seem disorganized, but today fulfill a key function in keeping the house of cards from collapsing.
In SMEs, the human element is not a complement. Cleri argues that it is a central part of the operating system.
And when that dimension is recognized and work is done from within it, in an integrated way, decisions become ordered and the company gains perspective.
