I agree also, and Steve Jobs left apple and grew as a manager with other experiences and then came back.

Most examples that I sort of think of, have been acquired. Rapid growth to $500 million then slow down a struggle and finally make it close to $1 Billion, and then bingo, get acquired.

The only firm that might be close is Pegasystems. But, here the CEO owns 51%+ of the common stock, and controls the company. He has been in place for a long time, and has slowly grown the company over the years, with lots of ups and downs. Right now, they are in a good niche and doing very well.