All founders reach a point where they need to shift to their next role: they must cease to be founders and become leaders. A founder who is unable to do this will only be a barrier to growth and the success of the business. Founders who don't make the adjustment are usually removed later by investors or the board of the company when it goes public.
The shift is from being focused on developing a product or service to building a team and the whole organisation. A new mindset and skill set is needed, according to an article on the management-issues.com website.
How to tell you are stuck in founder mode
- You think you need to do everything yourself. But if you spend time doing the work of others, you cannot focus on the job of CEO.
- You have delegated some decisions but kept all the important matters for yourself. Set up processes and systems that get things done. Give other people some of the important tasks.
- You enjoy solving problems too much because you like the details. But your organisation needs you to be doing the things that only you – and no one else – can do. So stop doing other people’s jobs; focus on what only you can deal with.
- You hire fans of your product – people who are excited about your idea. That's fine in itself; however, enthusiasm alone should not be the primary reason for hiring someone. People need to bring experience and expertise to fill currently existing gaps in the capacity of your company.
- You are not putting together a team. Yet that is your main task as a leader: building a strong team which has the capacity necessary to sustain the business. So you need to delegate the rest and start paying serious attention to the team.
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