Open Access

F. Lattuch

• Purpose. Organization renewal through innovation represents a difficult managerial challenge in family firms. Our research reveals a framework for sustaining innovation capabilities through a perspective of value and process principles. Design/methodology/approach. We examined findings from consulting projects in high performing family firms and literature from the areas of family firm strategy and leadership. Findings. We describe how combining patterns of innovative organizations with patterns of high-performing family firms can help leaders to sustain innovation. This study indicates that a value- and process-driven perspective is important for effective innovation. In particular, the four value principles are continuity-, community-, connection- and command-related factors (4C’s). The four process principles, in turn, are profession-, project-, product- and purchaser-related factors (4P’s). Originality/value. This paper is part of a wider study of innovative German family firms initiated in 2012. Our 4C’s and 4P’s framework suggests a practical means to better implement innovation by reconciling the firm’s innovation strategy, leadership behavior and organizational learning.