Who succeeds as an Interim Exec?

Executives who take interim CEO roles are veterans in leadership, we have nothing to prove. We are already professionally secure; each interim role is a new challenge where I know I can make a difference. I enjoy what I do and I’m good at it.

Importantly, we are overqualified.

A leader with previous experience heading up a $200m business will be more than comfortable stepping in as an interim at a smaller $50m firm. This is not a situation where you want someone to learn on the job.

Being an interim leader brings flexibility. You can choose assignments that suit and interest, and I only sign up for a finite amount of time.

Interim candidates are typically a mix of professional interims and corporate leaders open to flexible interim engagements. I bring the right leadership mindset and I am always ready for a new challenge with plenty of gas in the tank.

The Interim Exec Skill Set

I am ready and geared to the specific challenges of an interim CEO contract. An interim executive role requires a specific leadership mindset, an impressive track record and a particular set of skills, for example;

• As an interim executive I can walk into a troubled situation with the people skills to handle it. I am extremely engaging, with the ability to win over and influence a wide range of stakeholders right away. I will build trust with the internal team and with key stakeholders from day one. Most importantly, I have the ability to calm emotions, rebuild morale and win people over during turbulent times.
• I am a strategic thinker with my eye on the big picture. Agile and super-smart, I absorb and analyse a lot of information extremely quickly. It does mean I have a lower boredom threshold, I thrive on change!
• Independence; as an Interim I am happy working without a safety net and can quickly adapt to a new situation without overly relying on others. Similarly, I am are comfortable with ambiguity – sometimes I arrive with only a few days’ notice and don’t have the lay of the land. Throw me in at the deep end, I will succeed!
• In an interim leadership role I am action-oriented: I work against the clock, and I move fast. I get up to speed quickly and make immediate impact. Forget about the first 100 days – I am working on impact within the first 100 minutes!
• As an interim leader I have low ego, I am not in it for the glory, which is just as well because you’re unlikely to get the credit for the successes! I am not into organisational hierarchy or structure, I don’t seek to expand power.
• I bring serious and deep mental resilience. Interim leadership is usually a high-pressure role, and interims have to exceed expectations every day. Often you make difficult decisions which affect peoples’ lives. I can, and I have the skill and experience to focus and do extremely well under that kind of pressure.
• Lastly I am apolitical. I am a straight talker who won’t sugar-coat a situation. As an interim leader you are rarely a people pleaser, because you do not need to be – I have no skin in the game, I am here to solve a specific problem, rather than ascend the corporate ladder.

Interim Executive services – it can help!

Interim Executive Leadership brings a completely new perspective to the table. Let’s compare the way we progress with footy: a series of forward, backward, and sideways moves to achieve goals and objectives. With an interim executive, a number of planned and needed moves will happen quickly and diligently.

Interim Executive services, as an example overcome the scenario where you lose a key, 250K per year exec. The process to replace that person could be 6 to 9 months … the real cost could be fiscal impact many times the salary and loss of more staff and key stakeholders. We can avoid that and help with the long term organisational structure

I have been successful at the top, private and public sectors. I lead superbly well and I can do your tough stuff. Most importantly I can make ‘the place’ better compared to where I find it.

I try in my business to be very practical, independent and as honest and objective as I can be.

Lets have a chat and see how I can help.

Cheers, Hans

We drive Government Engagement – guiding and helping build a bridge between business and all levels of government.

I know the policies of Governments, and the administration of those policies. In many areas I know the ministers, and I know the backbenchers. So whether it’s a ministerial decision, a Cabinet decision or a departmental decision, when someone approaches me with a problem in a particular area, I know which departments, ministers or agencies will be involved.

I am interested in the role of government and the changing structure of government. I help business work with government, or avoid government or, in some cases, buy a little bit of it, such as part of a government agency.

I try in my business to be very practical, independent and as honest and objective as I can be.

My newsletters will say whether a government initiative will probably be successful, give a timeframe for when it might happen, and include caveats: what to watch out for …

Lets have a chat and see how I can help.
Cheers, Hans

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For Victorian Government Clients – our services can be accessed via Buying for Victoria arrangements: State Purchase Contract – Professional Advisory Services & eServices Register

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Watch, Read, Listen

• 
  Letter from Canberra – April 2024
• 
  Letter from Melbourne – March 2024
• 
  Letter from Canberra – March 2024
• 
  Letter from Melbourne – February 2024
• 
  Letter from Canberra – February 2024
• 
  Letter from Melbourne – January 2024