The Hidden World of Founder’s Syndrome
Written by: Holly Christopherson, Student at the University of Delaware
Nonprofit organizations all have one thing in common, being that their end goal is to benefit a struggling community. While this work is notable and incredible in most cases, some have noticed that nonprofits are beginning to struggle with a notion of power. On Reddit, one user discussed working for some nonprofits stating “Three of them (nonprofits) have terrible founder’s syndrome...” (Reddit). Seeing this new phrase, I did some research on what this term meant, but quickly fell down a rabbit hole seeing how severe this issue is. For those unaware, Founder’s Syndrome usually “ occurs when a strong-minded founder, who battled against odds to build an organization, ends up becoming its biggest constraint to growth” (Cranfield Trust). When the leader of an organization becomes too invested in personal gain, rather than growing the mission of what they worked to build, it slowly leads to expectations of power. The rates of this issue are much higher than what I expected, and show why this issue needs to be addressed.
1. We must reestablish what it means to be a founder
As the founder of any organization, there are many responsibilities that must be taken on- ranging widely from finances, to employees, and ensuring that their nonprofit goals are met. Being a founder shows some of the highest skills in leadership, and is not something that is easily accomplished. While working to get here is extremely difficult, some leaders of organizations have lost sight of what their role is- to improve upon the work they have done. Leaders become too invested in ensuring that they thrive in every way possible whether it be through money or a confidence boost. That is where Founder’s Syndrome comes in, as it messes with the standards and leadership of an organization. It is difficult to fight the desire to have some sort of power, but it is necessary to keep leaders in touch with why they started their work. Being able to benefit a whole community is strong and impactful work, and leaders should remember that when making their decisions.
2. There are ways to fix Founder’s Syndrome
If you think your organization may be suffering from Founder’s Syndrome, there is no need to worry- there are ways that you can work to eliminate this problem. In doing research into this issue, I found an article by Forbes that describes a plan to handle this issue, beginning with understanding the root cause of why someone developed Founder’s Syndrome. There can be many answers to this question, but it revolves around identifying what may have changed for a leader to have this problem exist. Next, there needs to be a plan created and enacted to begin handling the problem; this needs to be handled on many levels, but mostly through finance and discussion with shareholders/donors as they hold a lot of monetary power. The third step involves more of a step in case the founder must leave, where they must transition all aspects of the nonprofit to the successor. The next step is to find someone that has the intent to bring back the meaning of what the nonprofit stands for, which is done through strategic planning. Finally, the most important step is to completely move on and let go of the Founder’s Syndrome as to make sure it leaves no lasting impacts. This is obviously the hardest part, but by separating from the issue then the leaders can truly re-immerse in the mission of their nonprofit. While these steps may seem difficult to follow, it will lead to different results for all leaders. These steps can greatly benefit the core of an organization, and reinstate their goals.
Founder’s Syndrome is a difficult situation for all parties involved, and only sets back the work of an organization. Through personal growth and steps taken by the entire nonprofit (like listed by Forbes), this problem can be diminished for an organization to truly work towards their original cause.
Works Cited:
Coetzee, Marcus. "Founder's Syndrome Undermines the Legacy of Strong Leaders." Cranfield Trust, 26 Apr. 2022, www.cranfieldtrust.org/articles/founder-syndrome-undermines-the-legacy-of-strong-leaders. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
"Do I Have the Worst Luck, or Are the Majority of Nonprofits like This?" Reddit, 2021, www.reddit.com/r/nonprofit/comments/lhpbos/do_i_have_the_worst_luck_or_are_the_majority_of/. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Riccards, Patrick. "How to Navigate Founder's Syndrome." Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025, www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/04/18/14-reasons-why-nonpromotional-thought-leadership-is-so-valuable/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
