08/27/2025

'Founderitis' Is A Thing

It can kill a business

Editor’s Note: Mark Debinski is part of the team at Chief Executive Coaching, a group of former CEOs who’ve led through growth, crisis and transformation. They know what it’s like to sit in your seat—and how to help you move forward.

Earlier this summer, I sat in a meeting room at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida, watching a company, in its 12^th year and on a path to crest the $20 million revenue milestone in 2025, struggle. The room was stunning and came with a beautiful view, which one would expect at a Ritz property. Attendees at this executive leadership team meeting included the founder and his wife (CEO and COO, respectively), the company’s CFO, their VP of sales, me and two other outside executives who comprise the board of advisors.

The overall economy was perfect for this business, and their primary service market in south Florida was booming—again! It should have been the best moment in the firm’s history. But as I listened to the founder-CEO hijack each of the ELT members’ prepared reports, I could see ample evidence of why the business had not reached its real potential and why it risks being derailed.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Chief Executive.