The Elephant in the Family Room: Managing the Complexities of Legacy Businesses - Softcover

Sonneveld, René

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9915430930 ISBN 13: 9789915430935

Publisher: Guiding Lens Publishing, 2025

Synopsis

Equip your business family with the tools to tackle silent threats—including unspoken resentments, deep-seated insecurities, lingering fears, and misaligned values—that can shatter even the strongest enterprise families.

Business families face challenges that go far beyond the balance sheet. These unseen forces often remain hidden yet profoundly affect the future of both the family and the enterprise. Drawing on decades of experience advising global business families and C-suite executives, René Sonneveld addresses the “elephant in the family room”—the emotional complexities of enterprise families.

Packed with actionable insights, The Elephant in the Family Room provides enterprise families with the tools to confront power struggles, mend fractured relationships, bridge generational divides, and align family and business interests. Each chapter includes real-life case studies and thought-provoking reflection questions to help you apply key concepts to your unique situation. For lawyers, accountants, trust specialists, family officers, and wealth managers, this book provides a deeper understanding of family dynamics, helping you guide clients with greater empathy and effectiveness. Whether you’re leading a family enterprise or advising one, The Elephant in the Family Room is your essential road map to lasting success across generations.

About this title

About the Author

René Sonneveld is a leadership coach and former international executive who built his expertise in high-stakes roles across global banks and family-owned businesses. As a family governance specialist at the world's largest private bank, he advised families navigating the complex intersection of legacy, power, and emotion. Today, he coaches enterprise families and their leaders through the succession challenges and the pursuit of long-term unity across generations. His book, The Elephant in the Family Room, draws from decades of work inside boardrooms and living rooms alike. René also teaches leadership coaching at American University, NC State, and Rutgers.

Edition details

• Publisher: Guiding Lens Publishing
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9915430930
• ISBN 13: 9789915430935
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 402