Can my dad actually change or are we stuck like this forever?

Every archetype is fixable. Kris Kluver, in The Dysfunctional Family Office, makes this point directly. The Seagull can become the Teacher. The Shadow can move out of invisibility. The Wanderer can find a path that honors both their calling and the family. The Reluctant Heir can be recast into a role that actually fits. None of the archetypes are permanent. They describe where you are right now, not who you have to be. Knowing where you are is how you start moving. The change rarely happens overnight. It usually requires a triggering event, structured work, and time. But the change is real and the patterns can shift. Most families assume the founder is who he is and nothing can change. Most are wrong.