Considering fractional work? Gain clarity around what it takes to thrive in this employment model, and more importantly, learn actionable ways to improve these core skills.
It’s not enough to be good.
In the highly competitive fractional leadership field, you have to be great. Being “good at this” is table stakes, and more motivated, competent, good people are entering the candidate pool all the time.
I believe there are ten skills that are essential to your long-term success, no matter your current project, company, or department. Mastery of these ten key abilities separates the adequate (and less-than-adequate) hires from the excellent ones. You may be pretty adept at several of them already. For the others — luckily — they’re skills that can be built. Some require specialized knowledge; others, merely practice. In this article I’ll explore these ten core skills that distinguish the truly outstanding professionals from … everybody else. I’ll also offer ideas and suggestions about the best ways to level up in each.
Every org is different, no matter how similar their KPIs and zoom calls sound. And unforeseen challenges occur within every single one. (Sometimes simultaneously.) In those immortal words of Eddie Van Halen, you’ve gotta roll with the punches.
How to level up? 100% practice.
Increasing your intellectual flexibility is a lot like increasing your physical flexibility: Stretch yourself, consistently, a little at a time. Take an unfamiliar route when running errands. Read articles or books endorsing ideas you disagree with -- and do it without starting a fight in the comments.
You can boil great time management down to two things — choosing what to work on, and actually working on it. Or more concisely, prioritization and discipline.
Improving here is 20% knowledge, 80% practice. There are tons (and tons) of tips, tricks, frameworks, and methods to explore here. But real superstars of efficiency usually have a unique system they’ve built with bits and pieces from many sources, put together over time to work perfectly for them. So don’t sweat it if when you can’t find the “right” one for you. Just pick one that seems doable for you for now and give it a go. Keep the tidbits that work for you, and keep working at it.
Yes, this is painfully obvious. But there is a bit more to it than just keeping people in the loop. One of the best things about working fractionally is the efficiency — you’re often able to strip away a lot of the meetings fluff and filler around your role if it was full time, and just do the work. However, to truly thrive in this employment model, you must embrace that a crucial part of the work is radiating clear, open, timely communication in all directions.
Leveling up? 20% knowledge, 80% practice. Resources abound with strategies and suggestions, and they’re definitely helpful, but there’s no way to read, watch, or listen your way to being a better communicator in a vacuum. Ask for and learn from direct feedback from the people you already communicate with.
Your deal flow is a direct reflection of the strength and size of your network. For a fractional executive, networking is like the fuel that keeps their career engine running. It's not about racking up LinkedIn connections; it's about building genuine relationships that can open doors to fruitful conversations, new opportunities, and exciting collaborations. The more people you know (and who know you), the more you can tap into different industries and ideas, which is crucial for staying fresh and relevant in your roles. A strong network also means more support, advice, and resources at your fingertips, making it easier to navigate whatever your career throws your way. In short, a wide, vibrant network can often mean the difference between just getting by and truly thriving.
This one is 100% practice. The more you reach out and engage with others, the better you’ll get at nurturing your connections, and the easier it will be to forge new ones. Whether or not you’re a natural social butterfly.
Life moves pretty fast (thanks Bueller), and technology moves even faster. You don’t have to master, or even know, every shiny new tool to hit the digital shelves, but there are a lot of benefits to staying slightly ahead of the “everybody’s doing it” curve. This is especially true with tools that solve a core problem in your field.
This is 50% knowledge, 50% practice — knowing actually is close to half this battle IMO.
What are the tools currently considered the best way to solve the problems at the core of your position? You should be very good at using them. When finding out the most popular tools du jour, Google, industry-specific publications, and clickbait listicles are (surprisingly) very helpful. To get your bearings in a new software platform, searching YouTube for “_ for beginners” often helps. If you’d rather read than watch, Googling “_ tutorials” or “_ overview” can be helpful, once you scroll past all the ads. Udemy, Coursera, etc. are good places for getting a deeper working knowledge of a platform.
And watch for disruptions and innovations. Keep a casual ear out for new software chatter — but if you start hearing a new tool mentioned more frequently, in multiple places, and especially if there are some people who really, really love it, it’s probably worth checking out. Industry-specific forums, LinkedIn groups, and communities are good bets for staying plugged in to those kind of conversations.
Overcoming challenges often requires both creative and critical thinking. Finding solutions isn’t enough; it’s about finding the right solutions. Successful fractional leaders are experts at quickly dissecting problems, analyzing data, and considering problems from multiple angles.
This is around 20% knowledge, 80% practice. Do study up on creative and unexpected solutions to past problems in your space. Read books and articles by industry leaders and pay attention to the specific methods they used to overcome specific problems.
This is likely the most daunting item on the list. Successful fractional workers need strong negotiation skills and a thorough understanding of employment contracts in your and your clients’ states, how your taxes will need to be filed, how to manage your healthcare if it isn’t covered through another family member, etc.
80% knowledge, 20% practice. Growing your financial expertise is an ongoing endeavor, not a one-time task. Find a couple of finance writers whose styles you enjoy and subscribe to their newsletters, or podcasts, or videos.
If there is one make-or-break skill for a fractional professional, it’s generating job leads. Whether you’re just beginning this chapter of your career or you’ve been doing this for years, knowing exactly how to turn on the faucet is terribly important. Getting a sustainable lead gen system set up and keeping at it consistently is the key to escaping the typical “boom and bust” financial instability that plagues so many fractional workers.
And it's 20% knowledge, 80% practice. There are hundreds or thousands of courses, programs, and webinars that promise to turn you into a lead generating expert for only $___. Some (even many) of these include helpful insights and useful ideas; depending on your budget and learning style, you might find one or two helpful. However, nothing will grow your lead generation skills like practice. The more you do it, the better you get.
Understanding and managing one’s own emotions is a powerful asset in any workplace, but it’s a veritable superpower when working in fractional or interim roles. But this isn’t just keeping your cool under the inevitable pressure of tight timelines and high-impact projects. It’s also about responding professionally and effectively to your (and your colleagues’) emotional states and triggers. Fractional leaders are often joining teams with complex existing politics, and being highly emotionally intelligent helps tremendously in navigating them.
50% knowledge, 50% practice. If you’re wanting to fine-tune an already reasonably strong EQ, then theory and secondhand learning can be quite valuable (in addition, of course, to practice). Most of the mysterious, “intuitive” nature of picking up on others’ emotions comes down to subtle but specific clues that can be learned & recognized. Discovering your own triggers and tells can be more difficult, but not impossibly so. If you’re starting from a more problematic place, however, it’s best to get a coach or counselor to help.
Project management skills are vital for a fractional leader because you need to be able to jump into different projects, quickly get the lay of the land, and keep multiple projects (and conversations, and sometimes people) running smoothly and on time. Good project management skills prevent unnecessary stress, improve your client relationships (hello repeat business), and help you make the most of your time.
50% knowledge, 50% practice. Since different organizations often use different PM frameworks and methodologies, it’s a good idea to be well-versed in at least the most popular. These include Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kanban, etc. Feeling comfortable with these frameworks can help minimize hiccups as you step into a new client’s existing processes.
Aaaand that’s a wrap on our discussion on these ten essential skills for fractional professionals. Mastering them is admittedly work; it requires time spent learning, adapting, and — most of all — practicing. But it’s effort well spent. Refining these skills will not only help with meeting the demands of your current role(s), but also ensure that you’re well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities you’ll be encountering for years to come.
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