Founder's syndrome

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Founder's syndrome occurs in a non-profit organization when decisions are made by a prominent person or small group of people, in an attempt to shape that organization according to a specific vision.

This phenomenon often occurs after the initial growth of an NPO, when its mission evolves beyond what its founder originally had in mind; this creates conflict between newcomers, who want the organization to adapt, and the founder, who wants to keep things the way they were.

Founder's Syndrome occurs when an organization operates primarily according to the personality of one of the members of the organization (usually the founder), rather than according to the mission (purpose) of the organization. When first starting their organizations, founders often have to do whatever it takes to get the organizations off the ground, including making seat-of-the-pants decisions in order to deal with frequent crises that suddenly arise in the workplace. As a result, founders often struggle to see the larger picture and to be able to effectively plan in order to make more proactive decisions. Consequently, the organization gets stuck in a highly reactive mode characterized by lack of funds and having to deal with one major crisis after another. The best "cure" for this syndrome is accomplishing a broader understanding of the structures and processes of an organization, including an appreciation for the importance of planning.