One other observation. I only have bits and pieces of clues from your description (affluent office, self-important/absent director, etc.) but it seems possible that the company turned inward. The company experiences some success and then transitions from a philosophy of service to looking out for themselves. It typically starts from the leadership and infects its way down. Now there is nothing wrong with taking great care of employees with standing desks and a nice office, but the vision still has to stay focused on service to your market. When the company loses that vision, the market becomes another tool to leverage toward the personal ends of employees instead of the primary mission area. And the org starts rotting from the inside. This can cause any kind of organization (profit/nonprofit/government/church/etc) to fall apart in various ways if not corrected.
One other observation. I only have bits and pieces of clues from your description (affluent office, self-important/absent director, etc.) but it seems possible that the company turned inward. The company experiences some success and then transitions from a philosophy of service to looking out for themselves. It typically starts from the leadership and infects its way down. Now there is nothing wrong with taking great care of employees with standing desks and a nice office, but the vision still has to stay focused on service to your market. When the company loses that vision, the market becomes another tool to leverage toward the personal ends of employees instead of the primary mission area. And the org starts rotting from the inside. This can cause any kind of organization (profit/nonprofit/government/church/etc) to fall apart in various ways if not corrected.
I love this. You’re absolutely right. Success can cause us (myself included) to behave so poorly if we’re not careful!