When founders say goodbye

April 29, 2008

Charles Lewis

Knowing when to let go of an organization can be among a founder's toughest tasks. Choose a moment when momentum is strong and infrastructure is solid, says this article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Charles Lewis, founder of the Center for Public Integrity, shares elements of his own leave-taking with author Sheila Kaplan, noting his fear of founder's syndrome, the difficulties of reassuring donors and the importance of making the hunt for a new successor professional and public.

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