Fractional executives surge 5400%. An Iowa leadership stopgap?

Iowa’s talent gap has long been a headache for local businesses, but Michelle Book, CEO of Altus CXO, reveals a “shot in the arm” solution that is currently seeing a 5,400% surge in LinkedIn roles. Unlike traditional consultants who simply hand over a plan and leave, these fractional leaders embed themselves directly into the C-suite to solve high-stakes problems with “muscle memory” gained from decades of experience. As Book explains, “It gets hot when you want it hot, and it cools down fast when you turn it off”.

From $1 billion commodity giants to 30-year-old family manufacturers, companies are increasingly using this “gas range” approach to leadership to bypass the months-long hunt for full-time hires. Whether it’s navigating a major tech implementation or professionalizing operations for a future sale, these seasoned pros offer high-impact results without the long-term overhead or benefits costs. “I certainly think that this is the way we’re going to employ executives and get work done in the future,” Book notes. Tune in to discover why she believes “these are people that want a dynamic work environment, status quo they get bored easily, so they’re ready to go, hit it hard”.

Thanks to Dentons Davis Brown for collaborating with The Iowa Business Podcast to bring incredible value to our listeners! Collaborators compensate our hosts directly for their time and effort crafting exclusive content.