Fail or thrive?

: how to remain resilient when leadership transitions in startups turn into crisis

Abstract

Leadership transitions in startups are pivotal moments that can disrupt operations, strategic direction, and organisational culture, especially when key leaders leave. Despite substantial research on resilience, few studies look at the dynamic organisational responses required to manage such transformations, particularly in the resource-constrained and fast-paced startup environment. This thesis studies the obstacles that startups experience while dealing with leadership departures, as well as how they acquire resilience and adaptability. Based on interviews with startup leaders combined with a resilience perspective, this study reveals cognitive, behavioural, and environmental factors that allow organisations to manage these challenges. It indicates that leadership departures frequently result in managerial misalignment, operational inefficiencies, and psychological upheavals within teams, while also sparking chances for strategic renewal. The findings emphasise the need of proactive strategies, such as role redundancy, stakeholder engagement, and cultural evolution, in mitigating immediate shocks and fostering long-term adaptation. This thesis finds that a process-oriented approach, with a focus on resilience feedback loops, provides useful insights into how businesses might convert leadership transitions from crisesto opportunities for growth. As a result, it advances the understanding of organisational resilience and provides actionable methods for startups to manage leadership changes in unpredictable contexts

Date of Award	12 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Ekin Ilseven (Supervisor)