The Destroyer Founder

How Leaders Sabotage Their Own Successors

This post is the first in a four-part series on how founders often—unintentionally—sabotage leadership succession. The series explores:

1. The Destroyer Founder
2. The Retirement Syndrome
3. When Legacy Becomes a Liability
4. Autocrats Don’t Retire

What happens when a founder handpicks a successor, only to sabotage them months later? Boards often watch in shock as a respected leader undermines the very person they once championed. In Santora’s research on nonprofit founders, one leader repeatedly appointed successors—then engineered impossible situations to force their failure. Psychologists refer to this as a power-retention reflex, characterized by the fear of losing control and relevance. We see it in the corporate world, too, where CEOs step aside only to return in a blaze of “rescue leadership.” The tragic irony is that most of these founders don’t intend to destroy succession. They lack clarity about their role once they step down.

Why It Happens
The destroyer pattern reflects unresolved identity conflict. Founders often see successors as rivals rather than stewards. Succession evokes grief: letting go of the role can feel like losing a part of oneself.

Examples

• Negative: A nonprofit founder in Santora’s research sabotaged three successors across 20 years, each collapse ensuring his return.
• Positive: Johann Koss of Right To Play defined a clear ambassadorial role, stepping back while empowering his successor.
  

What to Do

• Establish clear post-transition roles for founders.
• Engage professional coaching to address identity and grief.
• Use a shadow period where successors lead while founders step back.
  

Hopeful Close
Founders rarely intend sabotage. With structures and support, they can become their successors’ most outstanding advocates.

Reflective Questions

For Founders:

1. Do I see my successor as an extension of my legacy, or as a threat to it?
2. Have I defined how I want to contribute after leaving the top role?
   

For the New CEO/ED:

1. How can I honor the founder’s contributions without being overshadowed by them?
2. What boundaries do I need to protect my own authority?
   

For the Board:

1. Have we established clear roles for both the founder and successor during the transition?
2. Do we have the courage to step in if the founder undermines the succession plan?
   

Recommended Reading

• Santora, J. C., Sarros, J. C., & Esposito, M. (2014). Nonprofit founders and succession.
• Sonnenfeld, J. (1988). The Hero’s Farewell: What Happens When CEOs Retire.
• Tuomala, J., Yeh, T., & Milway, K. S. (2018). Making Founder Successions Work.

Next up: Part 2 — The Retirement Syndrome: Why Founders Refuse to Let Go.