As technology, industry, and communications have opened up Jules Verne-like opportunities in the last century or so, some families are experiencing prosperity beyond what was ever imagined. The tried-and-true foundations of happy families, such as rituals, emotional support, and healthy interaction, may have gotten sidetracked. The question often arises, however, for successful parents with no personal point of reference, “What is the right amount to leave our children?”
Based on the desire for one’s progeny to live a happy and fulfilled life with little suffering, parents with wealth are faced with how to show love and support without creating a circumstance that could be ultimately harmful. Perhaps Warren Buffett put it best when he said, “The perfect amount to leave children is enough so they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing.”
About Dr. Siegel:
Dr. Allen Siegel specializes in helping business family legacy decisions, family-managed businesses, psychological preparation for retirement, and more, at The Nautilos Group. His offices are in Chicago; an in-depth exploration of this article’s subject can be seen at his website, http://www.NautilosGroup.com, in the White Papers section.
Ship and boat modeling began with the earliest cultures. Archeologists have uncovered 4,000-year-old ancient Egyptian models, and the many ancient Greek models found in tombs offer valuable insight into that world’s maritime military, commerce, and industry. The artisan craft of ship modeling continues today, and the Midwest Model Shipwrights group in Mount Prospect, Illinois is proof of its popularity.
Founded 30 years ago, Shipwrights members represent all levels of expertise, from novice to master craftsman. There are some members whose work is seen in museums and private collections. The Midwest Model Shipwrights meets monthly to share challenges, techniques, and solutions as novices, intermediates, and experts interact with one another.
The variety of watercraft modeled by Shipwrights members spans the history of civilization, and sizes run from five-foot-long radio-controlled craft to tiny ships mere inches in length. The organization’s website at www.midwestmodelshipwrights.com offers valuable information, including a collection of newsletters with articles on history, technique, products, and the Shipwrights community.
About the author:
Dr. Allen Siegel is an avid Shipwright and founder of The Nautilos Group, which offers psychotherapeutic services for the unique needs of family-managed businesses.
A psychiatrist with decades of experience, Dr. Allen Siegel published a book about one of the fathers of modern psychotherapy, Heinz Kohut. In this work, Dr. Allen Siegel discusses how Kohut’s work breaks from that of Freud, focusing on his idea of Self Psychology and the development of different conceptions of narcissism.
Kohut believed that personal weakness exposed by narcissism often led to mental suffering. While the great psychoanalyst made extremely important contributions to the field, his work often remains incomprehensible for individuals outside of psychology. Dr. Allen Siegel strives to clearly explain the concepts he discusses, offering real-life examples to illustrate the theories that he discusses. The work explicates the difference between healthy and unhealthy narcissism and accounts for the common causes of narcissistic injury, such as childhood trauma. Kohut held that trauma experienced during the years of development could halt maturation and keep individuals in a vicious cycle of reenacting the wound.
The former Director of the Distance Learning Program for the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, Dr. Allen Siegel now operates the Nautilos Group, a consulting firm with specialized services directed to CEOs and family businesses.
Q: What exactly is the Nautilos Group?
A: At Nautilos, we work closely with leaders and employees in workplaces where personal or family relationships might keep the business from reaching its maximum potential. Of course, a family business can be as successful as any other. The deep connections among family members doing business together can have a profound, positive effect on a company’s success. However, personal and professional roles can, at times, interfere with one another. We offer a set of services designed to balance these dual relationships in healthy, productive ways.
Q: Is this a commonly sought after suite of services?
A: Since managing relationships is not a “hard” issue like, for instance, profitability, some CEOs don’t recognize the need for this service. More and more businesses are discovering that solving emotional conflicts can be the key to a smoothly functioning organization.
Q: You have written a great deal about the concept of “self psychology.” Can you give us a brief definition?
A: The founder of this premise, Heinz Kohut, theorized that our personalities are fundamentally affected by empathy and interpersonal relationships at the earliest stages of development. Of course, you can spend a lifetime exploring this concept, but self psychology functions as a powerful tool in the therapeutic process.
Allen Siegel, MD, PC
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