The founder’s spark vs. the CEO’s steady hand: Leadership lessons for enduring success

By Carolyn Dewar, McKinsey & Company senior partner and co-author of The New York Times bestseller, CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest.

“Mom, I’m sorry you have a boss. That’s not what I’m going to do when I grow up!”

Living in the heart of Silicon Valley, my daughter’s blunt declaration shouldn’t have surprised me. When her second-grade class was asked the classic question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” the parent night posters on the walls in reply weren’t filled with the usual dreams of firefighters, astronauts, or teachers. Instead, they proclaimed ambitions to be TikTokers, entrepreneurs, or simply “founders.”

At just eight years old, they were already reflecting the culture that surrounds us—a world enamored with the visionary energy of founders. In many ways, founders are the architects of our modern lives, after all, turning ideas into transformative companies. But as inspiring as this archetype is, it brings up an important question: what happens when the energy of an early founder needs to transition into the discipline of long-term leadership?

This tension between the entrepreneurial spirit of founders and the structured expertise of professional CEOs has sparked debate in Silicon Valley—and leaders everywhere—for years. It was reignited recently by (investor and co-founder of Y Combinator) Paul Graham’s essay on “Founder Mode,” which examines what sets founders apart. While much has been said about the “Founder’s Edge,” there’s less conversation about how non-founder CEOs can adopt elements of this mindset to lead with greater creativity and resilience. Let’s dig into what both types of leaders do best—and how today’s CEOs can strike the perfect balance.

Why founders shine but sometimes struggle

Founders are exceptional because they must be. Starting a business from scratch demands audacity, vision, and relentless determination. These qualities enable founders to navigate the ambiguity of early-stage ventures, where success depends on rapid pivots and creative problem-solving.

But as organizations grow, these same traits can become liabilities. The challenges founders face often reflect the growing pains of their companies.

Founders’ superpowers set them apart

• Visionary thinking: Founders see opportunities where others see obstacles, often challenging the status quo to chart entirely new paths.
• Customer obsession: They are deeply attuned to their customers' needs, creating products that resonate deeply.
• Resilience and ownership: Founders live and breathe their businesses, embodying a sense of purpose that inspires teams and stakeholders.
• Agility: Founders thrive in chaos, pivoting quickly to seize opportunities or respond to challenges.

Where founders struggle

As companies mature, growth requires a shift from intuition to a more scalable backbone. Founders can have:

• A reluctance to delegate: Founders often see the company as an extension of themselves, making it hard to let go.
• Operational blind spots: Necessary processes and governance can feel bureaucratic to founders used to moving fast.
• Talent hesitation: Loyalty to early team members may lead to delays in upgrading talent for the next phase of growth.
• Stakeholder misalignment: Communicating with boards, investors, and teams can be challenging for visionary leaders focused on the big picture.
• Over-optimism: Founders may underestimate risks, relying on past successes to justify aggressive assumptions.

These challenges don’t diminish the founder’s value; instead, they highlight the natural evolution of leadership as companies grow more complex.

The ideal leadership model isn’t about choosing between founder mode and manager mode. It’s about integrating the best of both worlds.

What professional CEOs can learn from founders

Non-founder CEOs bring critical strengths—operational rigor, strategic alignment, and the ability to sustain performance. But to thrive in today’s fast-moving world, they can also borrow from the founder’s playbook.

1. Embrace visionary leadership

Founders are compelling because they paint bold visions that rally teams around a shared purpose. For CEOs, this means balancing operational excellence with a focus on long-term innovation.

Action: Dedicate time to exploring what’s next for your company. Share these possibilities to inspire creativity across the organization.

2. Foster customer intimacy

Founders’ closeness to customers enables them to anticipate needs and craft breakthrough solutions. CEOs can emulate this by personally engaging with customers and integrating those insights into strategy.

Action: Host customer roundtables or personally participate in user research to keep your finger on the pulse of what matters most.

3. Cultivate an ownership mindset

Founders radiate accountability, instilling a sense of ownership across their teams. While professional CEOs may not have the same personal stakes, they can foster a similar culture of pride and commitment.

Action: Actively celebrate wins that align with company values, emphasizing shared responsibility for success.

4. Stay agile amid complexity

Founders thrive in ambiguity, but CEOs often excel in structure. Today’s environment demands a hybrid approach—maintaining focus while staying flexible enough to adapt.

Action: Experiment with agile frameworks that encourage teams to test, learn, and iterate quickly without fear of failure.

5. Balance risk-taking with pragmatism

Founders take bold risks, while CEOs often lean toward cautious strategies. The sweet spot lies in calculated risk-taking—bold enough to move the needle but grounded in data and planning.

Action: Surround yourself with advisors who challenge your thinking and help you balance ambition with realism.

Bridging the founder-CEO divide

The ideal leadership model isn’t about choosing between founder mode and manager mode. It’s about integrating the best of both worlds. Companies need leaders who can innovate like founders and execute like seasoned managers.

Take Jeff Bezos, who once said, “You need to be stubborn on vision and flexible on details.” It’s a perfect summation of the founder-CEO hybrid approach—bold enough to dream big but practical enough to adjust when reality demands it.

The business world owes much to founders. Their creativity and resilience have shaped industries and transformed lives. At the same time, scaling a company demands the steady, disciplined hand of a professional CEO.

For leaders today, the challenge is to think like founders without losing the structure and rigor of experienced managers. It’s not about replacing one leadership style with another. It’s about evolving into a leader who can build, scale, and inspire at every stage.

As a CEO, ask yourself: What would a founder do? Then pair that mindset with the tools and expertise that come from experience. This combination will help you create new opportunities, inspire your team, and ensure your company’s enduring success.

Carolyn Dewar is a senior partner based in McKinsey’s Bay Area office and the co-author of The New York Times bestseller, CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest.