The Growing Trend of Part-Time Executives

Imagine you’re leading a small organization, but you’re struggling
to recruit and afford the senior talent you need to grow. You could
hire a part-time executive. So-called “fractional leadership” is
common in startups and is spreading to other businesses and
nonprofits. But while a fast-growing number of senior leaders seek
this work arrangement, many companies are unsure of how to go about
it. Tomoko Yokoi and Amy Bonsall are experts on
the practice. Yokoi is a researcher at the TONOMUS Global Center
for Digital and AI Transformation at IMD Business School. Bonsall
is a former executive at IDEO and Old Navy who works as a part-time
chief product officer with several organizations. They explain when
and how fractional leadership works best—for the individual as well
as the organization—and how to do it right. Yokoi and Bonsall wrote
the HBR article “How Part-Time Senior Leaders Can Help Your
Business.”