Title: Founder’s Syndrome? Who Me?
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Content: And         wearing our Founder hat, we have experienced much of emotion that creates this         situation in the first place. And so we thought it might be helpful to share with         other founders the lessons we have learned along the way. These lessons are not         intended for boards who are wondering what to do about a founder who is hanging         on, although we know these insights will be helpful to boards as well. The lessons that follow are instead written to founders         themselves, asking them to dig down deep to look first at what motivates the         behaviors that have become lumped together as “Founders Syndrome,”         and second, to encourage them to take the next steps - to help their         organization move to a place that isn’t founder-driven, but         community-driven. What Is Founder’s         Syndrome - The Nutshell Version
Founder’s Syndrome occurs when a single individual         or a small group of individuals bring an organization through tough times (a         start-up, a growth spurt, a financial collapse, etc.). Often these sorts of         situations require a strong passionate personality - someone who can make fast         decisions and motivate people to action. Once those rough times are over, however, the         decision-making needs of the organization change, requiring mechanisms for         shared responsibility and authority. It is when those decision-making         mechanisms don’t change, regardless of growth and changes on the program         side, that Founder’s Syndrome becomes an issue. We see this most         frequently with organizations that have grown from a mom-and-pop operation to a         $12 million community powerhouse, while decisions are still made as if the         founders are gathered around someone’s living room, desperately trying to         hold things together. Founder’s Syndrome isn’t necessarily about the         actual founder of an organization.