The Case for Fractional

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

The saying, often attributed to Henry Ford, suggests that if we want things to be different, do different things. Try new approaches to achieve better results.

The concept highlights the importance of adapting to changing circumstances and being proactive by trying new approaches. I’ve been around enough leadership teams to say confidently that today’s leaders know this is imperative to staying relevant.

But where I see the biggest roadblock to momentum isn’t that teams aren’t adaptive, or creative strategists. It’s that teams limit their vision based on bandwidth.

Think about it. Your organization or company launches a new initiative, a bold campaign, or a growth strategy. Energy is high at the beginning, but suddenly the gears start to grind.

Staff are stretched thin. Clarity fades. The vision feels further away than when you started. Or maybe an executive transition leaves your team in limbo, trying to survive until the next full-time hire is found.

Those roadblocks can make us feel like we have to be everywhere at once, and we can’t. There are only so many hours in a day.

But bandwidth doesn’t have to limit aspirations.

What if you had someone on your team who could quickly help you gain traction at a fraction of the cost of a full-time partner? What if the right leader for the moment isn’t meant to stay forever, but simply to help you get where you need to go?

This is the advantage of fractional leadership. And we can find it in a wide range of industries.

1. The U.S. Interstate Highway System

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act launching what became the U.S. Interstate Highway System, the most ambitious infrastructure project in American History. The push to make it happen required more than a vision, more than the team Eisenhower had around him in the White House or anywhere else in the federal government.

Eisenhower tapped John S. Bragdon to serve as Special Assistant for Public Works Planning. Bragdon’s role wasn’t permanent cabinet authority, nor was he destined to be a household name. He was a fixed-term, project specific leader tasked with aligning vision, strategy, and execution for a project that would fundamentally reshape America’s landscape and economy.

The lesson? Big, bold visions rarely succeed without targeted, situational leadership. Eisenhower had the vision, and Bragdon carried out daily operations of the vision to ensure the highway system became reality. The permanent staff around Eisenhower could continue their political roles while Bragdon worked in the trenches.

Fractional executives today mirror Bragdon’s role. They step into organizations with a clear mandate: not to occupy a corner office indefinitely, but to drive execution, alignment, and results on a critical initiative.

Fun Fact: A nationwide interstate system required unprecedented federal-state cooperation. As a special assistant, Bragdon could sit in the middle of it all and bridge agencies without threatening their turf.

2. Saved By “Trader Jack”

My fellow Major League Baseball fans know how tough it is for ball clubs to overcome slow starts out of Spring Training. Yes, it’s a long season and there’s plenty of time to catch up. But chasing teams ahead of you in the heat of the summer is not easy.

That was the position in which the 2003 Florida Marlins found themselves.

The team floundered to a 16-22 record through the first month and a half before ownership relieved manager Jeff Torborg of his duties. Though the move wasn’t a total surprise, the next move was: hiring 72-year-old Jack McKeon as interim manager.

At first glance, McKeon didn’t fit the mold of a long-term franchise leader. He was temporary, a stopgap, and at the end of a long career. But what he brought was clarity, discipline, and a no-nonsense belief in what the roster could become.

The results were staggering. The Marlins surged under his leadership, clawed their way into the postseason and ultimately won the World Series, defeating a historic New York Yankees club.

The Marlins needed an experienced pro who could steady the ship. “Trader Jack” was that and more.

Fractional executives function in much the same way. When an organization feels like it’s walking in place, stuck between vision and reality, sometimes what it needs is a fresh interim presence serving as a sturdy bridge, someone who can realign culture, sharpen execution, and help the team break through.

The Marlins didn’t hire McKeon to build a dynasty. They hired him to save a season. And he delivered more than anyone thought possible.

Fun Fact: The 2003 Chicago Cubs were the heavy favorite to play for a World Series as the National League representative, a chance to break the infamous Curse of the Billy Goat in Chicago’s North Side. However, they ran up against McKeon’s Florida Marlins - and Steve Bartman. The Curse would remain alive and well for another 13 years.

3. The Green Revolution

History shows us that transformational impact often includes remarkable efforts from little-known, fractional leaders brought in to make it all happen. Time-bound roles designed for maximum impact.

Take the Rockefeller Foundation’s role in the mid-20th century Green Revolution. Facing global hunger crises, the Foundation didn’t sit on its wealth and bureaucracy. Instead, it mobilized a network of short-term, project-specific leaders (scientists, agricultural experts, field directors) who piloted research, scaled new farming techniques, and embedded solutions in communities worldwide.

These leaders didn’t become Rockefeller Foundation lifers or fixtures in Manhattan. They were called in with a mandate: innovate, implement, and move on. The result was a dramatic increase in agricultural productivity across Asia and Latin America, helping feed hundreds of millions of people.

The pattern is clear: when impact is urgent, fixed-term leadership can outpace permanent structures. In today’s nonprofit and philanthropic space, fractional executives serve this role. They help organizations escape stagnation, pilot new models, and accelerate initiatives that might otherwise wither under the weight of existing staff demands.

Fun Fact: the Rockefeller Foundation was adamant that leaders brought in had full autonomy to make decisions and move quickly, empowering them to execute. The Foundation didn’t want progress to stall because of strict oversight or approval processes.

4. The Fractional Advantage

From Rockefeller’s agricultural breakthroughs to Bragdon’s highways and McKeon’s Marlins, one truth emerges: the right leader doesn’t always have to be on staff and full-time.

Sometimes, the leader you need most is the one who arrives for a season, aligns your vision with reality, and helps you cross the finish line.

That’s the essence of fractional leadership. It’s about embedding expertise without the overhead of a permanent hire. It’s about building momentum, not bureaucracy. It’s about gaining results today instead of waiting for the “perfect” tomorrow.

Teams should leverage fractional executives to their advantage, and let them be the key to experiencing new levels of achievement.

The Fractional Advantage is a disciplined belief that leadership can be cost-efficient, catalytic, and transformative when matched to the moment.

What goal energizes you but continuously feels out of reach? Can a fractional executive hire help you achieve it and redefine standards in your organization?