Unpacking what it means to be an interim leader

https://elenaverna.substack.com/p/unpacking-what-it-means-to-be-an

Interim leaders are hired for a specific purpose and predetermined time.

1. You possess specific expertise that is clearly valuable for a period of time, but not on an ongoing basis. Any full-time leadership role pushes you to be a generalist—be a kitchen sink of solutions, whenever and however business needs you to be. However, as you generalize, you lose your ability to differentiate in the employment market. So while learning to be a generalist, never let go of your specialty.

1. You want to try-before-you-buy into the role. Focus on the benefit to the company! Remember: An extended trial period de-risks the equation on both sides. Although not all companies are interested in this kind of arrangement (I tried to get Atlassian to convert their Head of Growth search to an interim role and failed), it never hurts to ask. Let them know that you’re committed to confirming the right fit and that you’re expecting to make a demonstrable impact very quickly, and you may be surprised at the opportunities that open up.

1. Making Interims Successful.
   • First, impact is the king. You have very limited time to make an impact, so walking into a company with a very well-defined problem statement and a clearly proposed solution for you to execute against is critical. Your tenure might be brief, but your influence shouldn’t be. So the fastest path to impact is to validate whether a company’s existing hypothesis is right or wrong. This validation usually takes anywhere from 3-6 months, but most importantly it lets you hit the ground running.
   • Second, build relationships fast. You’re the new kid on the block, and you were most likely hired to change the status quo. Leading with influence will become your critical skill, and asking people to trust you while you trust fall on them is my go-to method of breaking down the walls. Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for natural allies (similar backgrounds or interests), people who hold a disproportionate amount of power, and those who have the most historical context.
   • Third, pattern match. As I meet folks, I always ask one specific question: “If you were in my role, what would you do?” This helps me begin pattern matching and developing my strategy for quick wins.
   • Fourth, build a succession plan early. Interim roles should not be disruptive to the company, so your departure at the end of the year should be entirely seamless. For this, 6 months before the contract is over, begin working on your succession plan.