How to prevent founder’s syndrome

Does your founder struggle to delegate and let go of responsibilities? Do they want to be involved in all decisions about the charity? Do they micromanage and not let skilled staff do their jobs?

 

If this sounds familiar, your founder may have a case of ‘founderitis’, or ‘founder’s syndrome’ as it’s commonly known.

 

Charity founders are creators, visionaries, and leaders. They work incredibly hard and invest a lot of time, often overcoming huge hurdles along the way.

 

But personality traits that help founders to do this (passion and drive) can sometimes become an issue down the line. Think stubbornness and single-minded focus.

 

An article by Marcus Coetzee, a Cranfield Trust volunteer, says that “founder’s syndrome occurs when a strong-minded founder, who battled against odds to build an organisation, ends up becoming its biggest constraint to growth”.

 

Founder’s syndrome can happen when a founder stays with a charity for too long and doesn’t want to share their power. They may ignore the views of trustees and staff and put off necessary changes.

 

It’s important to point out that not all founders develop founder’s syndrome. Some founders can run successful charities that continue to adapt and grow. Many move on from organisations they set up and build.

 

 

Why founder’s syndrome is bad for charities

 

When a founder gets involved in every decision being made about the charity, they stop an organisation from progressing. If all decisions are escalated to the founder for approval, it takes longer to get answers. This becomes more challenging when organisations get larger and there are more decisions to be made.

 

Founder’s syndrome prevents staff from developing in the workplace. They don’t get to use their skills or take on new responsibilities. It can also cause people to feel demotivated and make them less creative.

 

 

Signs of founder’s syndrome

 

There are common signs of founder’s syndrome. These include a founder:

• Actively discouraging open conversations with staff and not letting people disagree with them
• Recruiting people based on personal loyalty, not on their skills and experience. For example, they may try and recruit close friends and family members
• Not delegating responsibilities and wanting to be the point of contact for all issues and enquiries
• Getting angry and upset when they aren’t involved in every decision being made
• Micromanaging operational work and tasks that skilled staff are responsible for

Other signs include an organisation not having an official strategy and being reactive rather than proactive.

 

 

How to manage founder’s syndrome

 

Founders form strong emotional connections with the organisations they create. This makes founder’s syndrome a difficult and sensitive subject to approach. It can be hard for a founder to admit there is a problem and they may not want to listen to what you have to say.

 

As hard as it is, you need to have an open and honest conversation with your founder. Make sure you acknowledge their contributions.

 

In some situations, it may work for the founder to still be involved with the charity. Work with them to identify their skill set and develop ways for them to use these more strategically. This will help them to adapt and become part of the change the organisation needs.

 

In other situations, it will be best for a founder to step down completely. Support them to see the next stage in their career and develop an exit plan.

 

 

Preventing founder’s syndrome

 

The best way to stop founder’s syndrome is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Make sure you have good governance in place. A diverse and competent board of trustees will help to oversee the charity and look after its best interests.

 

Support the founder to be aware of their own abilities and delegate power. This will allow other colleagues to develop and make decisions for the charity. Charities should be able to survive and grow without the founder being constantly involved.

 

Founder’s syndrome happens when the founder’s personal story gets confused with the organisation’s mission. So, think about the language and words you use when talking about your organisation.

 

Avoid using singular pronouns or the founder’s name. For example, “Sarah’s organisation”.  This will affect the way the public views the role of the founder in the charity. Use terms such as “the organisation” and “our team”.

 

It’s also worth thinking about the founder’s title. Instead of “the founder”, you may want to use a title, like “founding CEO” as this sounds strategic and has longevity.

 

You should also spend time deciding on and clarifying the roles and responsibilities for everyone in the organisation. Put processes in place so one person doesn’t hold power over the board and staff.