Q. What is one telltale sign that a founder should stop acting as the company CEO and, instead, hire / promote someone else into the position?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. Founder Loses Excitement 
When the founder isn’t excited about the work that needs to get done, it is time to hire a CEO. As the company grows, the work that needs to get done changes and the role of the CEO changes. As soon as the role outgrows the founder, it is time for the founder to hire a CEO to take the company forward. – Sarah Schupp, UniversityParent
2. Employees Leave the Company 
As a company grows, people management (making sure employees are motivated and productive) becomes an increasingly important role for a CEO. You need a great team to execute on a big vision. Losing key employees is a huge risk to the success of the business. So, if employees start leaving the company, the founder should likely step aside and let someone else fill the CEO role. – Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh Inc
3. Founder Becomes Overwhelmed 
When a founder becomes too overwhelmed with the responsibilities he is taking on, it’s time to consider hiring or promoting someone else into the CEO role. Managing a team is a full-time job that requires constant care and attention, and many founders find this overwhelming. Also, it can interfere with other major responsibilities, such as strategy growth initiatives. – Fehzan Ali, Adscend Media LLC
4. Founder Has Second Thoughts 
Founding a successful company requires a very different skill set than managing one. Many entrepreneurs are good at the former, but they could do without the latter. When a founder is unable or unwilling to perform or is disinterested in the day-to-day rigors of the CEO role, it’s time to consider someone else. – Alexandra Levit, Inspiration at Work
5. Founder Spends His Time in Response Mode 
It’s time to switch roles when the founder is spending more than 50 percent of his time in response mode (responding to daily interruptions and calls) versus proactively creating value for the business. – Phil Dumontet, DASHED
6. Employees Lacking Respect 
You will often see employees who are excited about the product or opportunity but not in the leadership at the top, how they act or the way they communicate a vision. If other leaders or founders hear of employee discontent through the grapevine, then it’s time to act fast. Most employees won’t put up with it for long; the next stop is mass departures. – Tracey Wiedmeyer, InContext Solutions
7. Delegation Becomes an Issue 
The biggest sign would likely be lack of ability to delegate effectively. As a business grows, being able to delegate more and focus in on managing that organization becomes more important. Some CEOs end up causing more harm than good when they try to keep a hand in everything. Employees need to be trusted and shown they’re trusted. – Alec Bowers, Abraxas Dynamics
8. Costs Increase Dramatically 
Founders are often better suited as innovators, rather than business-oriented CEOs. Most inherit the position by default. A sign that a founder should find a CEO replacement for himself can manifest itself in the financials of the company. When costs increase dramatically with little to no increase in revenue and no clear reasoning, the time has come. – Phil Chen, Givit
9. Founder Loses Energy 
If the founder’s heart and soul are no longer in the game, then you know it is time for a change. If he is no longer enthused and certain about finishing what he started, then hire or promote someone else into the position. Leading and guiding a company through big changes and choppy waters takes a lot of energy. Staying as CEO out of a sense of duty won’t cut it. – Andrew Fayad, eLearning Mind