Fortify your org against “Founder-itis” with these 2 strategies

I once accepted a position at a social service organization as their new executive director. The outgoing ED was a dynamic warrior sistah whose presence and personality loomed large and she was known and respected by luminaries and commoners alike.

She’d been at the helm for decades, and as the organization’s third but longest-serving ED, she shepherded the organization through some very difficult times and some very impressive achievements. Challenged by health issues and the lure of a quieter life, she finally decided it was time for her to pass the torch.

I have always been an eager student of my craft and relished the opportunity to be mentored by someone with such an impressive professional legacy. It was my first ED job and I was intent on proving myself and making my contribution to continuing that legacy.

She decided to stay on for six months as I transitioned into the role and I assumed I’d shadow her as she showed me the ropes. We had a few meetings and I took copious notes. She was good about making sure the staff addressed concerns directly to me, having me be the new “face” of organization to the public and advising funders that I was assuming her duties.

But there were major things like finances and other management issues that I’d asked about but she somehow never got around to explaining. “What’s the plan here?”, I wondered.

When the transition period was over, I moved into her office and slowly began to feel the full weight of what she’d left me with. It was crushing. Suffice it to say, the organization was in dire financial straits the extent of which the board was unaware, resulting in continued sinking of staff morale and reduction in services.

All the while, my predecessor would make unannounced visits, share her opinion on my decisions with the board and staff, and try to provoke confrontations with me. I’d taken every step I could think of to get help in figuring out the mess, which was of no interest to the board. It was determined that I was the problem, and less than five months later, I took my leave.

This turn of events was disturbing in more ways than one. The most glaring though, was that I discovered I didn’t have the one thing that was most required for me and the organization to weather this challenge—the trust and faith of the board. But why was that?

THEY interviewed me and THEY hired me, yet it seemed like the former ED was the only one that held sway over their decision making. It was like she’d never left. But it was her decision to retire, right? And she’s the one that advocated for “change” in the organization’s way of doing things. Yet, when that change came, it was rejected. Looked like classic signs of Founder’s Syndrome to me.

Founder’s syndrome is a REAL affliction. Also known as “Founder-itis” it’s been written about extensively and there are even indicators and questions you can ask in identifying the symptoms. And for founders (and long-serving, weather-worn ED’s) there is even a test you can take to see if you “have” it.

In researching this subject I came across a variety of tones in which the authors describe their personal experiences with founder-itis and how best to address it. Should you confront, be compassionate or wage an all-out coup d’etat?

Well, I’m a process-oriented person myself, and really would rather avoid the whole mess with good planning. You’ll remember that I’d mentioned earlier how there was none. It was obvious and resulted in inadvertent transition sabotage.

So, could they have taken a page from the corporate playbook and worked on grooming a leader from within who would have been prepared to slip right into the ED role when the time came?

Certainly, there was already someone on board with the institutional knowledge and program management skills—all that was needed was some executive savvy and business training. With this person identified, the board could have instituted a “Departure-Defined Succession Plan ” as to prepare the organization and all their stakeholders for the transition.

Alas, these two areas, leadership development and succession planning, are oftentimes not even on the radar of some boards, many of whom have never heard of the concepts. It is up to the ED to spearhead these discussions, ensuring that they are a part of strategic planning and are included in their annual budgets, annually.

Unfortunately, many small and grassroots nonprofits operate in crisis management mode pretty regularly, responding to challenges reactively, rather than proactively. It is no wonder that my former employer found itself in such a precarious position, with their sustainability severely weakened, resulting in massive staff cuts and program disruptions. So unnecessary.

Take a moment to click on the links in this post and review the materials, including this one on successful executive transitions. They should at the very least begin to give you a perspective on the conditions within your own organizations and can hopefully lead you to some proactivity of your own.

Remember the old adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.