Nov. 20, 2025
By Sam Young
When I speak with clients, I often hear the same thing when taking a brief;
“We just need someone to steady the ship.”
When I hear this, I immediately think “You don’t need some one to steady the ship”. What client’s usually mean is they don’t want some one to come in and be a disrupter but that is far from a steady ship. Great interims, arrive with purpose, move fast, make improvements and leave an organisation stronger than they found it.
The Shift from Gap-Filling to Real Change
Interim leadership used to be about filling space. Someone leaves, someone steps in. But that’s changed. Today, businesses bring in interims to lead transformation, shape strategy and get things moving when it matters most.
I saw this first-hand with a Global client that was going through a heavily invested digital transformation. They had the plan, but not the pace and the capability to deliver such a large programme. We introduced an interim transformation consultant who was highly experienced in complex change, digital transformation and stakeholder management. By the end, the programme was delivered successfully, permanent team was trained, confident and ready to take it forward. That’s impact & legacy, not just delivery.
What I’m Seeing Across the Market
There’s a clear shift happening:
- Clients expect interims to challenge, not just manage and are becoming more educated on the difference.
- Behaviours and track record mean more than sector experience (in organisation wide change)
- The cost benefits of hiring an interim and delivering on time is becoming realised more often
(These trends reflect what I see day to day, supported by insights from 2024 Interim Report, which shows growing demand for strategic, project-led interims.)
What Makes the Difference
In my view, the best interim leaders create value in three ways:
- They bring clarity. Everyone knows what matters most.
- They build capability. Teams leave stronger and more confident.
- They accelerate decisions. Progress happens faster because someone takes ownership.
I worked with a FMCG client recently who needed to navigate complex politics and a difference in internal priorities to deliver on a large transformation. The capacity internally was already stretched thin, so they needed a seasoned interim to own the agenda, bring the credibility to speak from experience and make decisions while bringing the business leaders along on the journey.
The result, in a matter of weeks a steadfast plan had been agreed which had previously been stalled for months and the focus is now on delivering change at pace and achieve an ROI.
Why It Matters
Interim leadership isn’t about plugging holes. It’s about creating movement, focus and resilience when it’s most needed. The right person, at the right moment, can shift more than a project. They can change how a team thinks and works.
Question for my network:
What examples have you seen of interim leaders leaving a real legacy behind? What made it work?