Fractional leadership explained

By Bastiaan Dekker · 2026-07-27 · Perspective

A senior leader, part-time, on demand: fractional leadership is one of the fastest ways for CEOs to access experience without the full-time bet. Here’s what it is, why it works, and how to get it right.

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What is it? || An experienced leader, part-time

In essence, fractional leadership is taking an experienced leader on board, but rather than full-time, for a part of the week. Fractional leaders offer their expertise to multiple companies simultaneously. You might spot some overlap with interim management and consultancy here, but it is distinctly different. Interim is typically about temporarily filling an empty spot (often an existing one). Consultancy is about providing clarity and insights within a specific, typically short, scope and timeframe. Fractional leadership, on the other hand, is about harnessing a specific skillset to realize objectives that are difficult to realize within your current (leadership) team. This involves commitment to actually driving the change and realizing the deliverables.

Why would you consider it? || Talent, cost, and momentum

There are multiple reasons why the fractional model is a solid alternative for hiring full-time executives.

First of all, the talent market is tight. Finding the right leader for your company can be challenging and often involves lengthy and costly hiring cycles. With a fractional, you can skip this whole process, and get to work within weeks.

Second, there is the cost aspect. Hiring a full-time executive mostly comes with a significant compensation package and a multi-year commitment. Especially for startups and SMEs, this induces a threshold for accessing experienced leaders who can make a real difference in the company's growth. In the fractional model, one can access capabilities and knowledge that are normally hard to reach, for a fraction of the cost.

Then there's the phenomenon of momentum and dynamics. My personal favorite. The world is changing fast and is volatile. Priorities can shift overnight. New functions and areas arise fast, especially around AI, where others might become obsolete at that same speed. This new era asks for a different view on how to organize work. Instead of the conventional approach of functional jobs within a fixed hierarchy, more flexible operating models are needed, focused on skills rather than jobs. Deloitte researched this topic and calls it the 'skills-based organization'1. The fractional model is skill-based through and through. You only buy what you need, for however long you need it.

How does it work in practice? || Three factors that make it work

In a recent HBR podcast on 'How to make fractional leadership work', Tomoko Yokoi (researcher on Digital & AI Transformation) and Amy Bonsall (former executive and fractional leader) discuss how to make fractional leadership work.2 They mention three key factors that I'd like to highlight.

Start with the end in mind | Before onboarding a fractional leader into your team, it's wise to spend effort on defining the exact scope or outcomes you want to achieve, rather than just the role. Tomoko Yokoi mentions that traditionally, companies hire for a title first and define the desired outcomes afterwards. "Fractional leadership forces the opposite order. You have to be specific about which two or three things need to move, and why." A question that could help: "Is there an area of business that would help your business grow if you could accelerate it?"

Treat them as one of your own | To make the fractional setup successful, it's key to make the leader part of your team and to include them in the key leadership touchpoints. Give them access and trust from the start, just like you would do for a full-time hire. As CEO or founder, your role is crucial, states Bonsall: "Your job, as the leader who brings them in, is to make sure that they are in the right points when they need to be." To make any leader successful, fractional or not, they need real access to you, your team, and the information.

Keep aligned | Just like any leadership role, alignment and accountability are vital. After you've agreed on the priorities and outcomes (highlight 1) that will make a real impact, it's recommended to have at least a weekly check-in to align on these priorities and to monitor if these are still the top 1-3 things to be pursued. In my experience, this is vital, especially to roles close to the CEO, such as CFO, COO and CoS.

> Brighthand offers a strategic right hand for CEOs and founders on a fractional basis. I join leadership teams when they need it most, to turn strategy into execution.

27 July 2026

Fractional leadership explained

Perspective

standard

5 min read

Bastiaan Dekker

Founder, Brighthand

Building the skills-based organization. Deloitte Insights

How to make fractional leadership work. Harvard Business Review (IdeaCast), 2025

How part-time senior leaders can help your business. Harvard Business Review, 2024

podcast