A leading expert in the field of family business dynamics, Clinical Therapist, Advisor and the Author of two books, Love, Power and Money: Family Business Between Generations and Family Business Matters, Dean R Fowler has helped hundreds of family firms transcend the emotional barriers that threaten their organisations’ sustainability.
Fowler often mediates sibling conflict in the family business context. Mostly, the disputes he sees involve brothers and sisters contesting the estate plans of recently deceased parents. The cause of this severe dysfunctionality is almost always emotional. Common tropes include jealousy, inequality and long-held, deep-rooted resentment. Despite the success rate of Fowler’s mediation, some still move to litigation.
Working with these relationships gives Fowler a unique perspective on fraternity, and his experiences have uncovered a better way for families to approach succession. Labyrinthine estate plans, dense with Shyamalanesque surprises, bring out the worst. Transparent communication brings out the best.
