Work with fractional leaders
How can your startup be successful, but still cost effective? The answer is fractional leaders, experienced external executives. They help you fill leadership gaps in a part-time capacity.
Saving money instead of buying someone else's experience was one of the biggest mistakes I made in my first 10 years as an entrepreneur.
I remember very well the first time. It was 2012 with my first company.
One of my customers needed a business phone system. It took 3 months. But if I had asked for help from my friend Bruno earlier, it would have only taken me a week.
9 years later, one of my best colleagues ever - Alessandro - stepped out to a new professional challenge. I was so happy for him, but I couldn't lose such a great guy, and I didn't have the budget to find someone as experienced as him.
That was the moment when I discovered the power of fractional leaders.
Fractional leaders are experienced, external executives.
They help you fill leadership gaps in a part-time capacity.
There are many reasons to hire a fractional leader. Here are a few:
Lack of budget
A need for support to build internal skills
Lack of in-house experience in creating and executing particular strategies
Allow the time to find the right fit for a full-time role
Having Alessandro as a fractional leader for a while, in fact, allowed me to:
Hire and train 4 new juniors
Train a mid to become a strong senior
Give all the needed time to grow with fewer mistakes
Reduce costs
Working with fractional leaders isn't like working with an internal colleague.
A fractional leader is a hybrid between a teammate and an external consultant. A fractional leader can have another full-time job or multiple custommers.
A fractional leader won't know all the aspects of your business.
Your company is not his mission.
If you don't have a different approach to such kind of collaboration, you won't be able to get a positive outcome.
My goal today is to give you the below 3 things you need to know for approaching such a tremendous opportunity correctly.
#1. Identify a clear scope.
Do not hire a fractional leader without a precise goal to achieve.
A fractional leader works well when you know exactly what you want.
Identify a project with a clear start and a clear end.
If you are looking for someone to give you a direction, look forward to a mentor.
#2. Hire the best, eventually for a lesser time.
If you go fractional, there is no space for compromises.
Look for the best leaders you could get.
If the budget is a problem, reduce the hours you work together.
An effective fractional leader can impact even by working 1 hour per week.
#3. Do not keep fractional leaders forever.
Fill the gap through internal resources while working with a fractional leader.
If you are not filling the gap, try hiring him or looking for a full-time leader with comparable experience.