My research shows that in small companies, it’s still true that when founder-CEOs do badly, they are replaced. But the interesting paradox is that when founder-CEOs do really well, that also increases the chances that they’re going to be replaced. Typically, early in the life of a company-—when it is developing its first product or ...

Founding a company takes vision, charisma, energy and all sorts of other venerable characteristics, but those leadership qualities often aren’t enough to steer that same company from start-up to full-fledged corporation. In fact, often the entrepreneur can unwittingly derail it, according to a report by executive placement firm Spencer Stuart, which describes “founderitis” as a ...

An entrepreneur’s decision to step down is a hard and humbling one. After all, who wants to face up to her limitations? But that day almost inevitably comes. Some business owners find themselves unable to drive their company to the next level. Others discover that they simply don’t enjoy the complexities of running a larger ...

Everyone around you knows that you have it, but you are in denial. You say things like, “I am open to giving control to the right person at the right time”. However, the reality is that the “right person” does not exist and the “right time” never arrives. Founderitis, Founder’s Disease, Founder’s Syndrome; by any ...