Includes bibliographical references and index.

Questions and observations -- Introduction -- A psychological perspective on business families -- Psychodynamic and family systemic perspectives -- Key ideas from the psychodynamic approach -- The role of transference and countertransference -- The family systemic perspective -- A therapeutic alliance -- A summing-up -- The challenges of love and work -- Conflicting goals in the family business -- The tree-circles model -- How conflict can develop -- Family business practices: assessing strengths and weaknesses -- The interface of business and family practices -- Assessing the health of a family business -- Reflection and learning -- The life cycle as an organizing construct -- The multiple life cycles of the family business -- Key models of human psychological development -- The family life cycle -- Carter and McGoldrick's family-based life cycle model -- Applying the life cycle in family businesses -- Narcissism, envy, and myths in family firms -- Personality types -- Managerial implications of dysfunctional narcissism -- The importance of individuation -- The family firm as transitional object -- The power of envy -- Games families play: the role of family myths -- The impact of family myths on the family business -- Summary -- The entrepreneur: alone at the top -- Common personality characteristics of founder-entrepreneurs -- Larry Ellison and Oracle -- Deciphering the inner theater of the entrepreneur -- Common defensive structures in founder-entrepreneurs -- Maintaining the balance -- Leadership transition: replacing a parent as CEO -- Options for tackling the succession problem -- The inheritance -- Psychological pressures on new leaders -- Staying on course -- A systemic view of the business family -- A two-way relationship -- The evolution of systems theory -- The development of family-systems theory -- The family-systems proposition -- Family scripts and rules -- Family scripts in the family business -- A practical example of family systems thinking -- Diagnosing family entanglements -- The family genogram -- The circumplex model of marriage and family systems -- Differentiation of self from family of origin -- The family stories -- Integration and action -- Addressing transitions and change -- Lewin's ideas on change -- Kets de Vries' model of individual change -- Major themes in the individual journey towards change -- The process of change within organizations -- The change process in families -- Family-focus or organization-focus? -- The vicissitudes of family business -- The Steinbergs: a study in self-destruction -- The immigrant dream -- The mother's son -- The entrepreneur's son -- Sam as a family leader -- The entrepreneur's dilemma: passing the baton -- The next generation -- Irving Ludmer: play it again, Sam -- A family systems perspective on the Steinbergs -- The effects of Sam Steinberg's inner world on the family business -- The inner theatre of Sam's daughters -- What if? -- Putting family business intervention into practice -- The family action research process -- The succession conundrum -- The role of the outside adviser -- Advice to families seeking help -- The benefits pf a psychodynamic-systems perspective.