In the world of business, finding the right person for that critical [insert any department here] role can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack—except the barn is on fire, you don’t know what type of needle you need (or maybe you need a safety pin?), you needed this needle, like, yesterday, and there are a lot of sticks that say they are perfect needles.
Enter the hero of this story: the interim leader. Just like those 30-day free trials that somehow turn into lifelong subscriptions, interim leaders are here to save the day with a no-commitment, full-commitment kind of deal.
What is an interim leadership? I’ve held interim head of marketing or growth roles at Miro, Netlify, Amplitude, and Dropbox, and my take is that Interim is defined as a full-time leadership role on a short-term, contractual basis (not to be confused with Fractional, which is a part-time, long-term contract). Details are as follows:
The contract is usually <12 months with a flexible two-way termination clause
There is a well-defined problem that the interim leader can come in and begin solving
Available to start on short notice
Some are open to full-time conversions, but if not, they will help backfill themselves
They can be set up as a contract or full-time employee in your systems
They are usually paid in both cash and equity (equity with no cliff, quarterly vests)
They are not cheap—prepare to pay more than you would for a regular, full-time role
For more details, check out my ‘Unpacking what it means to be an interim leader’ post
Why do people make a choice to start interim’ing? To give themselves more work flexibility, to recover from burnout, to double down in their specialization, or simply to try before they buy into their own next full-time gig (especially if they’ve been burned by a bad transitional hiring process). I shared my reasons in this post.
But there is SO much benefit for companies, too!
Here are 5 reasons (plus a bonus!) why more companies should embrace this ‘try before you buy’ approach.
1. Immediate Expertise
Finding a leader is usually a 6–12 month ordeal. But what if you cannot wait? Interim leaders can (usually) start on Monday and plug in right away.
2. Reduced Risk
The negative impact of a failed leadership hire is… crushing. It sets your business back, causes a wave of internal disruption, and leaves long-lasting scars that take years to heal. So if you have any uncertainty about the candidate or the type of expertise you need, de-risk it by getting them as an interim, first. If things work out, many interims are open to full-time commitment. And if not, there is less disruption to everyone because there was a common understanding that it would be a short term engagement from the start.
3. Right Leader at the Right Time
As businesses rapidly shift (going through hypergrowth, digital transformation, mergers, etc.), different people naturally fit better during different periods of the company. And while there are some unicorns who can mold themselves into whichever leader you need them to be, most people have superpowers that align with certain problems. If you're going through a lot of change, interim leadership is perfect because it's like ordering leadership à la carte: you get exactly what you need, seasoned to perfection, for a specific period of time, without any long-term commitment.
4. Disrupting the Status Quo
Interim leaders often come in with a mandate to shake things up. Since they are not looking for promotions or bigger scope, they come bullshit and politics-free. Their fresh perspective and lack of agenda can spark innovation and push the company out of its comfort zone.
5. They help you hire the right person
If your interim leader is open to converting to a full-time role, great. But even if they're not, they'll help you hire the *best* candidate. There's nothing more powerful than hiring a backfill for... yourself. Interim leaders are subject matter experts in their field and have all the internal context, so they're perfectly positioned to hire a long-term leader—better than you could ever do.
Bonus! Promote via Interim
Do you have a leadership departure and aren't quite sure if any internal candidates are ready for the job? Consider giving it to them on an interim basis while you do your new leadership search. This allows you to see if your internal talent can stretch to fill the role, and if not, they can gracefully step back into their previous position without any awkwardness.
Are there any drawbacks?
One common push-back businesses have about hiring interim leaders is companies’ desire for a long-term commitment. But long-term commitment only happens when there’s a good fit. And if you think you can find that good fit by talking to a person for a few hours on Zoom, you are sadly mistaken. And the data doesn’t lie: most execs have an average tenure of less than two years. So look at the interim leadership as a way to get to a long-term, successful fit.
Other companies are concerned about the fact that the presence of an interim leader might create uncertainty or instability within a team, especially if employees are unsure about the future leadership structure. This can affect morale and productivity, sure. But what causes an even bigger disruption? A bad full-time hire. So pick your battles :)
My dream!
My dream is to normalize interim leadership roles. Whether it's a 'try before you buy' scenario or a short-term arrangement, it benefits both people and companies.
So, stop settling for the uncertainty of a full-time gig and explore the benefits of interim roles instead. It's like renting a convertible for a weekend road trip—maybe a bit pricey, but readily available, perfect for your needs, and if things go well, you might decide to keep the keys. So, buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Edited with the help of Jonathan Yagel—check out his awesome Substack.
I was just speaking about interim leadership with a fractional PM yesterday! And I've been inquiring a lot about what this looks like / how to land these roles. The TL;DR from all my conversations: the employer really needs to love you/want you more than you want them for this to work. And because of that, it works best for roles you get approached for not roles you find on LI. :)
Regardless, I agree that the benefits to both sides are huge. Taking a huge role / signing a huge leader is a massive bet. Why *wouldn't* you test before you invest?
I wonder one day if this will be the norm and we'll be saying.. "remember when you just used to sign an indefinite contract...?"
Interesting perspective. However, it would have been beneficial to include insights on the benefits to the interim leader as well. Often, the experience of an executive can be quite different from what was initially promised. The reality they face can be far removed from the appealing "brochure" they were sold, and this mismatch can have significant consequences for their career.
Companies are ultimately built by humans, not just boards, investors, or lines of code. When things go sideways, it's not solely the executives who should bear the blame. A more balanced view would consider the human element, acknowledging that these leaders often have limited power or agency in challenging, company-rescue situations.
Instead of focusing solely on the company’s perspective, it would be valuable to also consider the viewpoint of the executives themselves. If you are an executive considering an interim role, remember to evaluate it as an opportunity to "try before you buy." Don't do it for the company's benefit, but for your own professional growth and well-being.