The Authentic Organization

There is another end to the Letting Go theme, one that is much more familiar to organizational consultants of all stripes. Whereas newborn ideas have one set of dynamics, the question of Founder’s Syndrome and transitions in leadership once an idea has become an organization have another dynamic altogether. Much has been written on this topic, so I’ll restrict my comments here to just one aspect.

There are many reasons why a founder might hold on longer than they should or longer than others might want them to (which are often not the same thing), but the one that interests me most is the sense of loss on the part of the founder.

There are two things that contribute to this sense of loss being a troublesome issue for an organization and its founder. Although all change is experienced in part as loss, both founders themselves and the environments of contemporary civil society can turn that universal experience into a problem.

What do founders do to make it worse? I’m thinking that is mostly has to do with becoming attached (rather than committed) to the organization. They have sacrificed so much for it and the organization becomes part of their sense of identity. They lack perspective and a healthy sense of themselves apart from the organization, however much they might deny it.

What does their environment do to make it worse? Nonprofit organizations rarely provide for a graceful, dignified and mutually empowering exit for founders. Mostly they just go quietly. The sector is notoriously governed by a “what have you done for me lately” perspective or worse. Gratitude in the sector tends to be strictly instrumental, such as thanking donors because it will bring in more money. (I know some truly amazing exceptions to this tendency, about which I plan to write more.) Funders provide few stepping stones for founders to take time to think and try out new ideas.