When businesses face a leadership gap, they often look to bring in an outsider. But not all leadership roles—or solutions—are the same.
If you're deciding between hiring for a partial leadership role or bringing in an interim leader, this blog breaks down the differences, when each works best, and when they don’t.
What’s the Difference Between Partial and Interim Leadership?
At first glance, partial and interim leadership might seem similar—they both bring in external expertise. But here’s the key difference:
- Partial Leadership involves sharing responsibilities with an existing leader or team, filling a gap without taking full control.
- Interim Leadership gives the outsider full authority and accountability, making them the temporary “boss.”
They may seem interchangeable, but they’re not.
Why I (Generally) Don’t Take Partial Executive Roles
Partial leadership roles sound great in theory, but in practice, they often fall apart. Here's why.
1. Cultural Change Requires Singular Leadership
Leadership sets the tone for company culture. If you’re trying to shift culture, whether that’s improving productivity or fostering innovation, having a “partial” leader is like trying to steer a ship with two captains—you’ll end up going in circles.
When two leaders co-own the same responsibilities, it creates confusion. Employees don’t know who’s in charge. Decision-making gets clogged up with unnecessary debates. Inevitably, nothing really changes—especially the culture. And culture? That’s the backbone of any meaningful transformation.
2. Accountability Gets Muddled
What happens when you have two or more people sharing the same leadership role? Accountability starts to disappear. Everyone assumes “the other person” is handling it, or worse, decisions get caught in a tug-of-war between leadership styles.
The result? Paralysis. Suddenly, no one is fully accountable, and problems aren’t fully solved.
3. Half-In, Half-Out Solves Nothing
If you need someone to fix a broken system, don’t throw in half-measures. Partial leadership too often comes across as a “band-aid”—like renting a tool for a job that actually needs a craftsman.
Partial leadership tends to focus on small wins or incremental improvements, because there’s rarely enough influence to move the needle in major ways.
When Partial Leadership Works
Okay, so I just dragged partial leadership pretty hard—because in most cases, it’s ineffective. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place.
Here’s where it can work.
1. Running Senior-Level Projects
Partial leadership works when there’s a defined project with a clear beginning, middle, and end—especially when it requires a senior-level perspective. For example, hiring an expert to oversee a product redesign or execute a once-off merger.
If the current team isn’t senior enough to take on the complexity of the project and you know this is a temporary need, then it makes sense to “rent” expertise.
2. Integrating a Specialized Skillset
Some challenges require a niche skill your team doesn’t have—and won’t need again once your goal is accomplished. Think of it like hiring a technical leader to integrate a new system or a financial expert to oversee an audit.
Here, partial leadership works because the scope is narrow, and the results don’t depend much on long-term cultural change.
Want to “rent versus buy”? Perfect. Go partial.
When Interim Leadership is the Smarter Option
Now, if your challenge is more complex—like shifting culture, increasing productivity, or moving a team in an entirely new direction—partial leadership won’t cut it.
Interim leadership, on the other hand? That’s where the magic happens.
1. Full Control = Real Impact
When you bring in an interim leader, you’re not just hiring their expertise. You’re giving them the authority to actually lead. This allows them to prioritize action over consensus and focus on making meaningful, lasting changes.
Interim leaders operate like full-time executives—they’re not there to share the load; they carry it entirely.
2. Culture Change Requires Leadership, Not Committee Membership
Culture isn’t something you “tweak”; it requires an overhaul. Interim leaders set the tone, take the reins, and lead by example—something partial leaders rarely have the bandwidth or authority to do.
3. Succession Planning
One of the underrated benefits of interim leadership is succession planning. A good interim leader doesn’t just fix problems; they lay the groundwork for their permanent replacement.
This means they’re able to accomplish three things during their tenure:
- Shift the culture so it’s aligned with the company’s vision.
- Identify the right long-term candidate to continue that vision.
- Exit gracefully, leaving the organization on track for success.
Deciding What Your Business Needs
At the end of the day, choosing between partial and interim leadership boils down to your specific situation. Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you decide:
- Go Partial:
- The challenge is project-based or highly specialized.
- Your current leadership team just needs an external boost.
- Cultural change is not a priority.
- Go Interim:
- You need to overhaul culture or shift team dynamics.
- Clear, unified leadership is essential to success.
- You want someone to lead and hire the next full-time leader.
The Bottom Line
Leadership isn’t just about filling a gap; it’s about solving problems. And while partial leadership has its uses, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution—especially when cultural change or large-scale transformation is involved.
If your business truly needs to move forward, skip the band-aid and go with interim leadership. Done right, it’s not only the more effective option—it’s the smarter investment.
