The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
COMMENT | Charles Owori | I recently visited a friend’s father in the hospital. Though visibly frail and fighting for his life, what struck me wasn’t just his condition; it was what happened next. A knock on the door. Two women entered, armed with pens, stacks of documents, and several cheques.
Bedridden and visibly exhausted, within minutes, he was signing pay cheques, renewing contracts, settling bills and remained deeply immersed in his business. CEO, accountant, strategist. He was still all of them.
It was inspiring that from that hospital bed, he remained the nucleus of his enterprise but also unsettling: a stark example of founder’s syndrome, where the leader struggles to let go. In that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder what happens to the business when the founder can no longer hold the pen. Often driven by passion, perfectionism, or fear of irrelevance, founders can unintentionally stifle growth, delay transitions, and leave their organizations vulnerable.
In the region, once formidable enterprises like “The Aponye Group”, Zzimwe Hardware Enterprises and Construction Company, Mukalazi Technical Services, Akamba Bus Company and many others failed to succeed after the death of the founder.
The next generations or shoe-fillers in the business find themselves in a situation of ignorance of the business end of the company-branded fountain pen.
The question is: What can family-owned enterprises and indeed all enterprises do to break the cycle of founder’s syndrome?
There’s a saying that goes, “There is nothing new under the sun,” and I’ve found it to be true. It’s all about knowing where to look. Picking a leaf from some of Uganda’s most enduring family businesses: the Mulwana family, the Madhvanis, “Mukwano family” and the Aga Khan family among others. These have successfully navigated the problem of the founder’s syndrome, and their strategies offer valuable insights.
One key approach is the early integration of family members into the business. This isn’t just about succession; it’s about immersion. I’m sure many of us have experienced a moment where a young child, perhaps in an Asian-owned shop, confidently hands over to you a bar of soap that you forgot to pick as you wait at the payment counter. That is not just customer service, as it may appear; it speaks volumes. This is business instinct being passed down not through theory but through lived experience from an early age.
This approach builds resilience, continuity, and a shared sense of ownership.
Number two: the founder is welcoming you in, the spouse is at Till 1, and one of their children will transport all the day’s earnings to the bank later in the evening. Delegation of roles creates a culture of shared decision-making.
In many family-run enterprises, the founder’s knowledge is the invisible engine that keeps everything running. But when that isn’t documented, successors are left to guesswork. It’s a common founder’s assumption that “everyone knows how it works,” only to realize too late that the playbook was never written down. By clearly documenting business processes, values, and strategies, families can ensure that future generations have a defined path to follow and improve upon.
In family businesses, leadership isn’t just about making decisions; it’s about ensuring someone else can make them when you’re not in the room. That’s why having a succession plan isn’t optional; it’s essential.
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, but it was Joshua who took them into the promised land. The mission didn’t die with Moses; it lived on through succession.
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Charles Owori | Partner at Frederick Francis Associates Advocates LLP
