Flexible
Flexible leadership offers strategic solutions to companies seeking to make strides amid uncertainty.
In today’s economy, uncertainty still reigns. In fact, the only sure thing we can count on is change itself. On the employment front, budgets remain tight and business conditions are still too inconclusive to warrant rehiring.
To forge ahead, the wisest course of action businesses can take is to address strategic needs with targeted resources that minimize permanent overhead and expedite results. How is this accomplished at the executive level? Flexible leadership.
Simply stated, flexible leadership enables companies to bring in operating executives on-demand to address strategic management initiatives promptly without incurring permanent overhead—a solution yielding impressive results for organizations adopting this pioneering approach.
As you consider the option of flexible leadership, we’re going to take a closer look at three key points: the decision-making process of outsourcing versus in-sourcing, the strategic solution it offers organizations, and the implementation of a flexible leadership solution.
Join us over the next few days as we delve into the world of flexible leadership and discover how it can help your business sail through uncertainty with strategic resources and strong results!
Outsourcing versus in-sourcing. Either route is a decision of resources.
As we continue our discussion of flexible leadership, the decision to outsource is not the only choice companies are making. The alternative to outsourcing executive leadership is complete in-sourcing—the decision to manage every aspect of the business with internal management. To get a balanced perspective, we must look at the implications of each approach.
Outsourcing: A Flexible Leadership Approach
In a high-
It’s a way of increasing executive capacity on an as-needed basis—accelerating progress toward strategic goals and simultaneously, containing costs. While you oversee initiatives fulfilled by the service provider, the time required by internal staff is significantly reduced as outsourced resources manage the daily minutia.
In-sourcing: An Internal Leadership Approach
Relying fully on permanent staff to manage strategic business initiatives is the alternative to outsourcing flexible leadership. While in-sourcing is no doubt the familiar option, it is still a decision that will have an impact on your business.
By taking a complete in-sourcing approach, companies are deciding to utilize permanent, top-salaried executives with a defined capacity to meet business goals. This means, bandwidth can only be increased by adding permanent overhead—a decision that’s not always beneficial in a changing economy. Due to constraints on leadership capacity, accelerating progress on key initiatives also becomes a near impossible task.
Whether you choose an outsourced or in-sourced approach, the right decision is the one that helps you optimize business results and minimize financial risk during fluctuating economic conditions.
A strategic solution to today’s challenging business realities.
Shifting economic conditions have created a talent void in organizations at many levels, but one of the hardest hit areas is at the strategic level. Without capable resources, strategic projects are either being postponed indefinitely or added to lengthy lists of unrealistic priorities for overextended executives. The inability to succeed in these conditions can lead to executive turnover—another complication posed by strained resources and uncertain future prospects. Flexible leadership from an outside provider presents a concrete solution to businesses confronted with these challenges.
By engaging in a flexible leadership solution, companies are able to keep critical business initiatives moving forward with on-demand, seasoned executives who can integrate immediately into their organization. Since competitive pressures don’t adjust to internal staffing reductions, these flexible resources become invaluable assets to an organization—enabling high-priority projects to be expeditiously addressed without increasing fixed costs associated with permanent hires.
Flexible leadership is also an advantageous solution to organizations experiencing executive turnover. While the hiring process at this level is time-intensive, companies cannot afford to stagnantly wait for permanent talent to carry on critical projects. With a flexible leadership solution, expert resources are able to step into interim roles as seated executives and fulfill the high-priority demands of the respective position.
For these reasons, flexible leadership is fast becoming a favored solution among forward-thinking companies who want to stay competitively on course, despite economic uncertainty.
Moving forward with a flexible leadership solution—what it looks like and how it works.
Let’s begin with what to look for in an interim executive. Number one on the list is operating experience. You want to bring in an executive with proven experience in the types of initiatives you need managed. This is essential to achieving your goals efficiently and avoiding pitfalls associated with a
Second, you should identify an executive who has served in the same capacity as the executive role being filled. Their previous experience not only qualifies them for the task at hand, it ensures their objective viewpoint on the projects at stake and the resources required to meet specific goals.
To help you identify the right resource, seek out an executive services partner with a strong record of successes. An established firm will have experience in a wide variety of high-profile projects—ranging from financial planning & analysis, internal audit support, restatements and SEC reporting, to system selection & implementation, financial process improvement, mergers & acquisitions, debt & equity transaction support, and other strategic functions.
The beauty of flexible leadership is their ability to quickly see the big picture and begin executing at a highly detailed level. An interim executive is able to take on multiple projects and manage all of the inter-dependencies between them—minimizing demands on management’s time and providing a clear roadmap for results and resources needed up front.
Companies implementing flexible leadership solutions are reaping the benefits of this “big idea” and systematically removing the obstacles to progress that economic uncertainty creates. For more information on this topic, read our flexible leadership whitepaper.
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