Just how to Cure Founder's Syndrome At Your Organization

A couple weeks ago I received a phone from a buddy who has been serving on an international nonprofit board for over five years. The founder, who was simply innovative forward thinking-at the time-saw the opportunity and established this organization approximately 10 years ago. For decades, the nonprofit has expanded programmatically, as a result of commitment, expertise and passion of the board and its volunteers. Its fundraising efforts are paltry at best and it's by no means sustainable. Nerves are beginning to fray.

Today, the charity, is painfully suffering from "Founder's Syndrome" ;.Initiatives to create a sustainable organization beyond the present board and founder are stymied at every turn. Volunteers have become resentful since they find themselves doing excessive amounts of work and there's now a strong expectation by the founder that the "board will do as I say." It's difficult as the board members worry about the work, but there's discussion about perhaps establishing another organization with exactly the same form of mission to break the cycle of dysfunction.

When you yourself have been around available or nonprofit world for as long as I've, you're bound to encounter it sometime. Founder's Syndrome, also known as "founderitis", happens each time a business or organization's founder possesses an excessive amount of power and influence. Oftentimes, this begins to cripple an organization and typically incapacitates its road to continued growth and sustainability. I've personally experienced it throughout the length of my very own career in the nonprofit sector approximately five times.

The other day, I received an email from an excellent and conscientious fundraiser. After a thorough job search, she accepted a position within a nonprofit and was thrilled because she thought she'd enter into an organization where she would manage to grow. Instead, she informed me that as she approaches her six-month anniversary, she is actively looking for another position. Why? Founder's Syndrome.

She calls it, "Founder's Malady" ;.

In this situation, the founder has prevented a strategic plan, so there's no path or direction, and what's worse is that the founder is "best friends" with the executive director who has been in the positioning for decades. So, what is happening? Senior leadership talks a good game, but they appear to want to keep the same paltry growth, which is nonexistent. They've no fascination with truly looking to alter anything, as well as come into the 21st Century. They discuss the near future, and buzz around busily as though plenty of activity means progress, simply perpetuating the iron-grip of the founder and keeping to the status quo.

As my friend aptly stated concerning the "virus", "You can find mutations of the virus however it basically manifests the exact same set of symptoms: organizational paralysis, repeating the same mistakes over and over while expecting an alternative result (also known as insanity) and a number of additional problems."

In my experience, if you occur to become involved with an organization experiencing founderitis, there's really only one cure. A viable path needs to be made for the founder to get rid of his or her tenure since the CEO and/or chair of the board. This really is much simpler said than done, however, but I have experienced it done very effectively.

First, the organization's leadership (i.e. board) needs to identify that the business is suffering through an acute case of Founder's Syndrome. You first have to know there's a problem. Yes, this could perfectly imply that you've certain board members having discussions that'll feel comparable to conspiring a coupe. Essentially, it's inevitable. If an organization is obviously being harmed and there's an increasing likelihood that the nonprofit may not really survive after dark founder, aside from grow, then there's an obligation to act.

When I have experienced this transition occur successfully, it has brought time, patience and persistence. In a single instance, it took nearly 36 months of active discussions and strategy development. After the executive director and/or some board members have started having conversations about the ongoing future of the nonprofit and determined that the vise-like your hands on the founder must be broken in order to end the dysfunction, grow and become sustainable, they'd numerous fits and starts. It's not easy.

Strategic and well-timed conversations by key board members and the founder may have the desired effect, but this does not work in all circumstances, particularly if the founder does not see any reason or acceptable road to their stopping the reigns.

In each of the cases where I have experienced a fruitful transition, a situation or route has been made for the founder that honors their service. For example, in one case, the organization began the tradition of board member emeritus. In another instance, the nonprofit created a different fundraising foundation arm associated with the parent organization and so the founder, who was a prolific fundraiser, can stay involved but no more exert control in the governance of the organization.

Two final activities were essential and became catalysts for change in the organizations where Personally, i witnessed the cure of Founder's Syndrome. Outside counsel focusing on strategic and succession planning were crucial because they became the respected "external" voice. No-one within the nonprofits must be prophets within their particular land, which we know, mightn't be heard. Secondly, new board members with strong mission alignment, resources and leverage were also recruited to the organizations so the total amount of power slowly started to shift.