Why hire a fractional?

Because sometimes you need a senior leader who is properly in it with you, but who isn't so far inside the business that they've stopped seeing it clearly.

Part of your team

A good fractional leader isn't a consultant who drops in, writes a report and leaves. They turn up to the meetings, know the people, carry real responsibilities and care about the outcome. For the time they're with you, they are part of your team.

With enough distance to push back

They also keep a bit of distance, and that's deliberate. They aren't caught up in internal politics, they don't depend on one person's approval for their career, and they've seen the same patterns in lots of other organisations.

That gives them the room to think independently. When they can see a decision that will cause a problem, or a fix that won't actually solve the real issue, they'll say so. Carefully, calmly and with a better alternative, but they will say it.

Loyal to the outcome, not just to the plan.

Turn it on and off like a tap

Your business doesn't need the same amount of leadership every week, so you shouldn't have to pay for the same amount every week either. A fractional can work one day a week, or two. During a launch, a restructure or a crunch it might be four. When things are running smoothly it might be none for a while.

You get senior capability when it matters, and you don't carry the cost of a permanent executive when it doesn't.

In short

• Senior judgement, embedded in your team.
• Independent enough to question things and push back.
• Flexible capacity that matches what the business actually needs.
• No overhead of another permanent C-suite hire.