Fractional Leadership in an Internet Company

Fractional Executive in an Internet Company

Hi Everyone,

For those that have read my previous articles, these are based on my experience of having worked in an Internet Company for 20+ years, as well as extensive experience in the Pharmaceutical and Fast-Moving Consumer sector, in addition to having coached a lot of Leaders both in my Corporate & Consulting environments.

By now, you will most likely have heard the term Fractional Executive.

If you know me, you’ll know I hate fads and buzz words, I am blunt and to the point, my view is all about delivery, not trying to look good and really doing nothing, so when I first heard the term Fractional Executive, my initial response was to be sceptical, move on quickly and think just another fad or label.

After an amazing but demanding stint in an Internet Company, I’ve had the good fortune to take some time off, the debate was do I retire, no, most likely not, is this a sabbatical, yes, it has been a good chance to take a breath, recharge, smell the roses so to speak and think about where I want to place my focus and energy and how I really want to contribute and have an impact.

Based on the above thinking, I’ve been fortunate to be selective in the client engagements that I take on and it has allowed me to be very focussed.

Now this is where I change my tone on the concept of a Fractional Executive, as I find myself increasingly playing advisory roles, I realise it is a great balance that an Organisation can gain access to Senior Leadership expertise and support, but also not carry the burden of cost or HC, if this were the motoring industry way back in the day, it would be titled ‘Just in time sourcing’.?You access the support and knowledge, when you need it and how you need it.?You cut out the white space, the time taken for politics etc, you simply get the support you need as you need it, in an outcomes focussed way.

Whether you’re a 50, 100, 200 even a 400 or 500 person business or larger, you’re growing, maybe or maybe not, facing People challenges or opportunities, finding and leveraging the right Senior Leader advice & experience is important, dare I say critical, however, you also need to balance sustainability for your business and navigate the cost burden, so accessing the right Senior Leader in a fraction of the time resonates, it might seriously be a worthwhile investment to help you bounce ideas you might have and not necessarily have the internal sounding board, this affords you the right support in a timely and sustainable way, this approach lends itself to many functions including, human resources, marketing, sales, communications, operations to name a few.

This is both a highly engaging model for the Fractional Leader themselves as well as providing Senior Leaders in Organisations, the just in time support they need to help them navigate the complexities they face.

So, what makes a good Fractional Executive in my experience.

• Pragmatic – able to balance the nuts & bolts with the strategic view. - conceptual scalability.
• Asks powerful questions – really able to distil the discussion quickly and get to the heart of exactly what the Senior Leader and overall Organisation is saying & needs.
• Deep listener – able to listen to what is said and what is said between the lines.
• Understands how they can contribute, knows that this is really about supporting the Senior Leader and not about the Fractional Leader, they are there to be in-service of the inhouse Senior Leader.
• Adaptable & flexible, the Fractional Leader needs to have the conceptual adaptability to be able to step into different situations with different Organisations & Senior Leaders and know where to start and lastly,
• Engaging, a Fractional Leader needs to be able to build & maintain relationships quickly and effortlessly, you can’t be a burden nor difficult to engage with.

How does a Fractional Leader ensure they contribute & have an Impact?

A Fractional Leader needs to understand that they are a sounding board or an advisor to an Organisation, so ultimately it is all about the business and not you!?A Fractional Leader needs to park their ego at the door and understand what they really bring to the relationship & ultimately that for however long they are engaged and that may be as needed, maybe weekly, a few days per week or some other working rhythm, it doesn’t really matter, as long as they are aware of what the terms of the engagement are and there is explicit agreement around what success looks like and most importantly what the client or host Organisation needs to deliver.

Letting go of your ego as a Fractional Leader is no easy thing, ultimately most people tie their self-worth to a title, role or Organisation, so suddenly stepping back and saying ‘hey I’m only needed a fraction of the time, what you mean not all the time, can be difficult to swallow’, now maybe a way to reframe that is to say ‘you have this depth of expertise, that can be leveraged in creative ways, where you can help make a difference’.

What have been a few of my key learnings playing the role of a Fractional Leader?

1. You need to find ways to break old paradigms – there are creative ways that an Organisation can leverage support to ultimately deliver the outcomes they need to.
2. As a Fractional Leader – parking your ego and having the central mindset that you are there to make a difference as quickly as you can – so a short engagement that adds real value is worthwhile, don’t try to become part of the furniture.
3. You need to quickly understand dynamics, relationships, and complexities in any situation you are engaged for.
4. Clearly agree the outcomes & guard rails that frame up the engagement.
5. Be down to earth, pragmatic, easy going and not difficult or needy.
6. Understand your expertise and what environments that is best leveraged in.
7. Be authentic and show real commitment to helping deliver the outcomes you have agreed to.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this and I hope something resonates for you in your leadership journey.

Warm regards,

Klaus