This study focuses on the critical issue of CEO succession in family businesses, particularly examining the experiences of female successors navigating patriarchal contexts. Drawing on the concept of liminality, which describes an "in-between" state during identity transitions, we explore how Moroccan female successors engage in liminal identity work. Based on qualitative data from 31 Moroccan female successors, we highlight a recurring "boss-daughter" liminal state, where the authority of female successors is undermined by kinship dynamics, creating a power-status discrepancy. To navigate this liminal phase, the successors engage in identity work through four key stages to ultimately foster a sense of efficacy and solidifiy their leader identities: surfacing the liminal, redefining social hierarchy, reinforcing immersion, co-opting the liminal or rejecting the liminal. Our findings underscore the importance of identity formation strategies during liminal phases to understand how women can successfully transition into leadership roles in family businesses.
