Abstract:

This article explores the transition process to shared leadership in non-profit organizations by examining the dynamics between the founder and the board of directors. The research highlights the complexity of this transition, combining individual and collective mechanisms. It emphasizes the role of the founder’s rooting, which hinders the emergence of shared leadership, and the questioning of his centrality threatens social cohesion and even the organization’s survival. Drawing on the grounded theory applied to non-profit organizations, this qualitative study conducted in a sports association proposes practical and theoretical implications for managing shared leadership.

Keywords: Shared leadership, lead-founder, trustees, coalitions, grounded theory, rooting