When Fractional Leadership Beats a Full-Time Hire

There are moments when you don’t need another meeting. You need someone to run the thing. Fractional leadership fits when:

• Urgency is high, scope is emergent. You can’t freeze for a 4-month search.

• The mandate is specific. Stand up a new line, fix a stalled program, install an operating model.

• You want to buy outcomes, not headcount. Time-boxed, accountable, measured.

What it looks like (first 90 days):

• Weeks 1–2: Diagnose, align on the few priorities that matter, set scorecard.

• Weeks 3–6: Stand up cadence, clear owners, unblock execution, show early proof.

• Weeks 7–12: Tighten loops, transfer ownership to internal leaders, lock in momentum.

You keep the momentum after the engagement because the system is yours. That’s the point.