The external catalyst: Why the interim CEO is driving faster strategic change
In a time of rapid market development, organizations struggle to move from strategy to actual implementation. To shift an organization from its original position to its desired position, a catalyst is needed. Increasingly, this catalyst is an external interim consultant, a temporary leader who can accelerate the transformation faster than permanent, internal managers.
We delve deeper into how this external force works, with insights from Fredrik Mannheimer, doctoral student at the Stockholm School of Economics and management consultant specializing in strategic decision-making.
Fredrik is also one of the key figures in Interim Management Professional Program which is Sweden's only academic program for interim managers. The program is run by Interim Search in collaboration with the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg.
The unbiased view and courage in decision-making
The interim manager's greatest asset is the absence of internal historical baggage. Without ties to old structures, the consultant can view the organization with immediate and unbiased objectivity.
Fredrik Mannheimer describes the mechanism: “The outsider asks ‘stupid’ questions that are actually brilliant. These are the fundamental questions that the organization has stopped asking itself because of accepted truths.”
Once these questions are asked, it becomes clear to the entire organization what course of action to take. This collective clarity is one of the main reasons why interim solutions accelerate the pace of strategy work.
Objectivity also creates conditions for bolder decision-making than internal managers are often able to demonstrate. Fredrik elaborates: “An external CFO may have a completely different mindset than, for example, an internal group controller who temporarily becomes CFO and feels that ‘now I mustn’t mess up’.”
Structure is needed to channel this courage constructively. Fredrik works with a simple but powerful model for decision-making, based on three categories: Benefits, Costs, and Risks.
“All decision-making documentation should include these three questions. These are important perspectives that people may have stopped asking themselves.”
The model is central to the training of interim managers and helps leaders make forward-looking decisions in a consistent and objective manner.
Anchoring for lasting effect
When an interim consultant creates a quick impact, the next question arises: How can sustainability be ensured when the assignment ends?
Personal charisma can be an asset, but the long-term effect is created by making the strategy work independent of the individual. Fredrik describes it as a process of institutionalization: “The key is to implement structures and working methods that make the strategy independent of the individual. By creating a simple methodology for decision-making, implementation, and follow-up, the strategy work becomes independent of the individual.”
An experienced interim consultant also acts as a catalyst for learning. With insights from many different environments, the consultant can quickly raise the level of maturity in a management team.
“The interim consultant can share the courage to question and proven tools.”
However, to achieve maximum impact, the organization must position the consultant correctly from the outset.“The tone of the message is crucial. The message should be: we are making an investment because we expect this benefit. We have now set a new course.”
The strategic interim manager as the norm of the future
Fredrik sees a clear trend: more companies are seeking interim solutions to quickly gain future expertise. “If you do something a lot, you become good at it. The interim consultant has implemented these strategic shifts countless times, in many different environments.”
At the same time, the market is becoming more complex. Organizations realize that they cannot build all the expertise internally—especially in rapidly changing areas such as technology and AI. “For example, I can’t become an AI expert in a week. We understand that we don’t understand – and we need to bring in specialists.”
The consequence is that the role of interim manager is becoming the natural first choice for strategically critical assignments. Fredrik puts it this way: “The idea that one person is the best candidate for a job is becoming obsolete. Interim managers will increasingly become the norm in order to ensure both specialist expertise and strategic courage in leadership roles.”
Would you like to develop your strategic decision-making skills as an interim manager? Read more about Interim Professional Program, where you can benefit from Fredrik Mannheimer's expertise, among other things.
