Title: Founder's Syndrome: How Corporations Suffer -- and Can Recover
Headings: Founder's Syndrome: How Corporations Suffer -- and Can Recover
Founder's Syndrome: How Corporations Suffer -- and Can Recover
Introduction
Table of Contents
Preface
Founders' Syndrome: During Tenure of Founder
Transitioning to a New Chief Executive
Appendix A - Procedure for Transitioning to a New Chief Executive
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Preface
Founders' Syndrome: During Tenure of Founder
A Typical Problem Among Small Organizations
Some Troublesome Traits Among Founders
Typical Traits of Well-Developed Leaders
Basic Principles in Developing Leadership
Actions Boards Must Take
Actions Founders Must Take
Actions Staff Might Take
Summary
Transitioning to a New Chief Executive
Founder's Syndrome: When New Chief Executive Replaces Founder
Symptoms Depend On Nature of Founder
Typical Symptoms
Actions Boards Must Take
Actions New Chief Executive Must Take Before Taking the Job
Actions New Chief Executive Must Take After Taking the Job
What if Founder Left Organization in a Mess?
Appendix A -
Procedure for Transitioning to a New Chief Executive
Current Chief Executive's Notification to Board
Confidentiality
Board Preparation
Administrative Preparation
Interim Coordination Between Board and Staff
Hiring the New Chief Executive
Orienting the New Chief Executive
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For the Category of Leadership:

Content: The syndrome is primarily an organizational problem -- not primarily a problem of the person in the prominent position. This manual happens to focus on the situation where the organization works according to the personality of the founding chief executive. However, it could be in regard to, for example, a Board Chair who came along after the founder had left -- the symptoms and actions to recover are essentially the same. Table of Contents
Preface
Founders' Syndrome: During Tenure of Founder
A Typical Problem in Small Organizations
Some Troublesome Traits Among Founders
Typical Traits of Well-Developed Leaders
Basic Principles in Developing Leadership
Actions Boards Must Take
Actions Founders Must Take
Actions Staff Might Take
Summary
Transitioning to a New Chief Executive
Founder's Syndrome: When New Chief Executive Replaces Founder
Typical Symptoms
Actions Boards Must Take
Actions New Chief Executive Must Take Before Taking the Job
Actions New Chief Executive Must Take After Taking the Job
What if Founder Left the Organization in a Mess? Appendix A - Procedure for Transitioning to a New Chief Executive
Other Related Online Articles
Preface
I learned a great deal about Founders' Syndrome while facilitating various Leaders Circles meetings, starting in 1995. A Leaders Circle is a peer-based development program that I developed in 1995, which includes five to seven members who meet regularly to share coaching for ongoing support, problem solving and networking. ( Leaders Circles is a registered trademark of MAP for Nonprofits in St. Paul, Minnesota.) I used the phrase Founders' Syndrome to describe the set of symptoms that I noticed among struggling founders of organizations.