Future leadership in transition: the strategic role of the interim manager
In a time of global uncertainty and economic hardship, management teams are facing major changes. But amid the recession's demands for cost control, we are also seeing a forward-looking movement in which the strategic interim manager plays a decisive role.
Lena Arrelöv, Senior Director at Interim Search, provides his expert analysis of the trends shaping the business world and interim leadership.
Trends driving change
The biggest changes are currently being driven by geopolitics, demands for change, and a strategic focus on sustainable growth. Global uncertainty and increased security requirements are creating a need for robust risk analysis and tight cost control, which in turn is strengthening the focus on increased efficiency and productivity in internal organizations.
The economic downturn is driving a clear focus on flexibility. Companies are managing their skills needs by strategically combining permanent appointments with interim solutions to quickly and cost-effectively access specialized skills during specific projects or transitions.
“Interim Management offers unique flexibility and cost-effectiveness, which is crucial when you don't know exactly what skills you need, or for how long.” says Lena Arrelöv.
New specialized interim roles
As these changes unfold, we are seeing new roles emerging in management teams. The market is demanding specialists in areas where there is a skills shortage, particularly in revenue and growth, as a proactive step ahead of an economic turnaround. Although titles such as Chief AI Officer or Chief Transformation Officer are not yet standard, the underlying skills are in high demand. Interim leaders are called in to lead complex changes, quickly establish new functions, or handle exceptionally difficult appointments that require specialized expertise.
Interim leadership: the engine of change
Interim managers are ideal for these roles thanks to their experience in change management and improvement management. According to Lena there are three key contributions.
Firstly, they provide courage and direction, a combination of strategy and operational experience that creates stability despite uncertainty. Secondly, they contribute to goal management and execution, as they are skilled at quickly qualifying and executing within a limited time frame to accelerate growth. The third key contribution is the implementation of new functions, with AI being a current example. Lena believes that “AI will not be a technical issue, it will be a leadership issue that requires integrative leadership for broad implementation and increased competitiveness.”
Forward-looking advice and the future
Interim Search works proactively by analyzing corporate activities such as new share issues and reorganizations to identify future skills needs long before the client themselves realizes it. This allows companies to be ready when the board gives the green light to invest in growth.
In five years' time Lena Arrelöv that the interim industry will redefine how to build a forward-looking management team. The interim manager, with their confident and flexible leadership, will become the strategic tool of the future. Their expertise and speed are crucial not only to accelerate when the economy turns around, but also to act as a catalyst and actively drive the turnaround through rapid, targeted growth initiatives and restructuring.
