By Prof. Guido Stein and María Belén del Campo
Senior managers who can offer “been there, done that” off the shelf are in increasing demand in today’s volatile and uncertain environment.
In a fast-changing world, companies need expertise on demand. Interim management connects organizations with leaders who have done it before and are ready to deliver again. Guido Stein and María Belén del Campo of IESE Business School, University of Navarra, discuss the benefits and some of the pitfalls of this increasingly popular management model.
In today’s business environment, marked by the accelerating pace of change and ongoing transformation, interim management is becoming an increasingly widespread practice among companies.
It involves bringing senior-level professionals into an organization on a temporary basis so they can apply their knowledge and experience to benefit the organization, with the goal of continuing to create value. In addition, interim management helps make the labor market more fluid by acting as a bridge between senior talent—professionals over 50—and companies’ growing need to bring in capabilities they lack internally to tackle specific projects, manage complex situations, and address challenges.
These professionals are characterized by three key attributes:
- Have experience (“They’ve done it before.”)
- Have achieved good results (“They’ve done it well.”)
- Want to do it again (“They’re motivated and want to do it again quickly and effectively.”)
Four main questions arise around this concept as this practice has taken hold as a new reality for executives:
- What do we mean by interim management?
- How does it relate to the role of the senior executive?
- What benefits does it offer the company and the interim manager?
- When does a company need it, and who makes the decision to bring in an interim manager?
The concept of interim management
Interim management refers to bringing a senior management professional—known as an interim manager—into a company on a temporary basis, typically for 6 to 18 months, to provide specific expertise to address a particular need. This approach enables companies to quickly access highly qualified talent without having to make permanent additions to their organizational structures.
Success is tied not only to career length but also to the ability to make an impact and solve specific problems.
Interim managers are brought in to work on specific, clearly defined projects or tasks. They provide coverage for management roles and manage complex situations or the execution of strategic projects. Beyond providing specialized knowledge, they often assume leadership responsibilities within the organization, supervising internal teams and participating in decision-making processes during periods of organizational transition.
The interim management model is geared toward senior management and therefore requires substantial seniority and experience. Success is tied not only to career length but also to the ability to make an impact and solve specific problems. The approach entails a paradigm shift in the way work is understood: a move from a model based on presence to one centered on action and results.
What interim management is not
Despite the appeal of this alternative path for executives, it is important to keep in mind that not everyone is suited to the role of interim manager. It is not only a matter of technical and interpersonal skills (hard and soft skills), but also of properly understanding the challenges of the assignment and carrying it out effectively. Having excelled in a particular professional environment does not necessarily guarantee success in another.
Interim management operates according to a different logic: it is not a conventional extension of an executive’s career or simply another employment contract, but rather a way of approaching professional practice in which experience is converted into market value.
The following are five common mistakes when starting a career as an interim manager:
- Passivity: It is not enough for aspiring interim managers to wait for opportunities that fit their profile. They must be proactive, build visibility, and clearly communicate how their accumulated experience can address a client’s specific needs.
- Vanity: The point is not to talk about oneself, but to highlight the value one can contribute. Interim managers must listen actively, ask key questions (“Why…?”), and identify the real problem in order to offer solutions.
- Weak executive presence: Interim managers are not selling a product, but rather their own ability to execute. Personal image influences perceptions of credibility and professionalism, but this should not be understood solely as attention to physical appearance; it is also essential to convey confidence, clarity in presenting ideas, and responsiveness in proposing solutions, acting with decisiveness and self-assurance.
- Misunderstanding the temporary nature of interim management: Interim management should not be understood as a transitional stage or as a path to permanent employment. Interim managers take on projects with a specific objective: to create value, deliver on the assignment, and, once it has been completed, move on to the next challenge.
- Uncertainty around decision-making: Interim management involves a professional relationship that differs from the traditional employment model. This can create uncertainty for both the interim manager and those around them. In either case, it is essential to maintain self-confidence and confidence in the value one brings over the medium term, without losing the humility needed to recognize when a project is not viable and to step away at the right time, if necessary.
Common pitfalls of interim management
The usefulness of interim management depends on having a clearly scoped mandate, a defined time frame, and a need for execution that cannot be adequately addressed with the organization’s regular resources.
Accordingly, it should not be viewed as simply replacing an executive, but as a management tool designed to address specific situations in which experience, speed of action, and independent judgment provide distinctive value.
The following are five common mistakes:
- Ambiguous mandate: When a company does not specify the problem to be solved, the scope of the assignment, or the expected results, the contribution of the interim manager tends to become diluted.
- Lack of internal sponsorship: Bringing in a temporary executive does not eliminate the need for a clear internal sponsor within the organization who has the authority to unblock decision-making and align interests.
- Confusing diagnosis with execution: Interim management is not equivalent to strategic consulting; its distinctive contribution lies in giving the interim manager executive responsibility for implementing measures and delivering results.
- Underestimating the demands of a time-bound assignment: The time-bound nature of the assignment does not make it any less demanding. In fact, this factor means that the interim manager must set priorities, accelerate decision-making, and focus efforts within a limited time frame.
- Lack of alignment with governance: When the board of directors, the owners, or senior management are not aligned on the purpose and direction of the change, the interim manager’s intervention loses traction and organizational legitimacy.
Interim management in corporate life: the role of managers
Understanding the growing relevance of interim management also requires examining the changing role of managers within modern organization. Over the years, managers have traditionally been considered central figures within corporate structures.
According to Deloitte (2025), organizations with strong management report up to 15 per cent higher financial performance than those that lack this type of leadership. Despite the essential functions managers perform—especially in people development, team support, and leadership—they reportedly spend approximately 40 per cent of their time solving day-to-day operational problems (“putting out fires”), rather than focusing on more strategic or longer-term tasks.
This is particularly significant because it means that, despite the competitive advantage that managerial experience can bring to a company’s development, managers’ ability to act is often constrained by day-to-day operational demands. This hinders both their professional development and the organization’s ability to make full use of that potential. As a result, it is not surprising that, from the perspective of professionals, interim management is emerging as an increasingly attractive professional development option.
According to the 2026 State of Interim Talent report, 85 per cent of the full-time independents surveyed say they have been working under this new model for more than a year. This shows not only that interim management makes it possible to continue creating value but also that this new way of working is becoming established as a deliberate and sustainable choice.
Indeed, interim management allows many senior leaders to extend their careers beyond traditional employment arrangements, remain relevant in the labor market, and continue contributing strategic value to organizations. However, this transformation is also part of a broader shift in the way organizations manage talent.
In recent years, MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte have studied the future of work, noting that external or contingent workers may account for between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of the total workforce in certain organizations.
Against this backdrop, companies are no longer relying exclusively on internal employees and are beginning to draw on a broader set of external collaborators, independent experts, and specialized providers.
When interim management is used and who decides
Organizations typically turn to interim management when they face situations that require immediate expertise and leadership. Common circumstances include filling a critical vacancy that cannot remain open during a lengthy recruitment process, leading transformation projects with demanding timelines, managing crises or restructuring initiatives, supporting post-acquisition integration processes, or temporarily professionalizing a business function without creating a permanent position.
The decision to bring in an interim manager rarely rests with a single decision maker. In practice, it usually involves the chief executive, the board of directors, the owners—especially in family businesses—and, where applicable, the financial investor or private equity fund, with support from the HR function. The quality of the decision taken depends on whether these stakeholders are aligned on the diagnosis, urgency, objectives, and criteria for success.
Properly integrating the interim manager
Managing this new arrangement should not be viewed as the exclusive responsibility of individual departments operating in isolation; rather, properly integrating the interim manager requires coordination across multiple organizational dimensions.
The successful integration of the interim manager depends on active commitment from the company. For the interim manager to create value from the outset, it is especially important to consider not only the selection process but also the circumstances that justify the assignment, the quality of internal sponsorship, and the clarity of project governance. It is therefore essential to focus on the following considerations:
- Recruit the right person: Select an interim manager with the skills, experience, and leadership capabilities required for the assignment.
- Identify the right talent: Ensure that the internal team has the necessary competencies and commitment to support the project.
- Involve the interim manager early: Bring the interim manager into the project from
the outset to align expectations, objectives, and priorities. - Prepare the initial phase carefully: The first weeks are critical for establishing credibility, diagnosing issues, and building internal support.
- Provide ongoing support: Grant clear authority, adequate resources, and executive backing to facilitate effective execution.
- Clarify the interim manager’s future role: Define expectations and future prospects to maintain motivation and engagement throughout the assignment.
Benefits of interim management
When properly implemented, this management solution has a two-fold impact: it creates value for professionals, who gain greater control over their careers, decision-making autonomy, and ongoing development through a range of projects, and it benefits companies by enabling them to respond quickly to changes or critical situations and gain immediate access to high-level expertise.
Interim managers contribute to greater organizational agility through their ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, immerse themselves fully in the organization, and focus on delivering measurable results. Furthermore, this model optimizes both time and costs by allowing companies to access senior-level talent on a temporary basis without the long-term commitments associated with permanent appointments.
Interim managers contribute to greater organizational agility through their ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, immerse themselves fully in the organization, and focus on delivering measurable results.
At the same time, interim management creates significant advantages for professionals. It offers a high degree of autonomy and encourages proactive decision-making, while providing continuity through participation in diverse projects across multiple industries and organizational settings. This exposure fosters continuous learning, broadens professional experience, and enhances career development. In addition, the flexibility associated with interim assignments often leads to greater personal satisfaction, as professionals can choose projects aligned with their expertise and interests while enjoying increased professional freedom.
This illustrates how interim management creates a relationship based on shared value that strengthens both parties. Executives benefit from a more flexible, rewarding, and development-oriented career path, while organizations gain access to specialized knowledge, improved adaptability, and results-focused leadership. As a result, companies are better positioned to navigate increasingly complex and dynamic business environments, while professionals enjoy greater career control, continuous growth opportunities, and financial recognition linked to the impact they generate.
The interim manager’s effectiveness
The interim manager must have a set of key competencies that support their experience and results orientation. These include:
- Client focus: The interim manager must focus on solving the client’s problems, adopting an attitude of understanding and active listening. This approach draws on strategic methods such as design thinking to ensure effective solutions aligned with the organization’s vision.
- Objective communication: The interim manager must identify the key skills and the areas in which they can create value, deploy their talent, and demonstrate relevance. Communicating these strengths must be based on concrete facts and verifiable references. This is a key factor in demonstrating competence and building trust with the client.
- Immediate impact on the organization: The interim manager must generate traction from the moment they come on board, bringing clarity, a strong pace of execution, and focus on critical business priorities. Their distinctive value lies in translating the diagnosis into operational decisions, mobilizing teams, and achieving visible progress in a short time frame. This ability to produce results reinforces the interim manager’s credibility with management, reduces organizational inertia, and facilitates internal alignment around the objectives of the assignment.
- Commitment: The interim manager must take full responsibility for results, secure the necessary authority, and ensure the client’s collaboration in meeting the objectives.
- Independence of judgment: Unlike consulting, the interim manager does not simply operate within the framework of preexisting agreements or procedure manuals. They must maintain independent judgment, apply their experience and methodology, and provide solutions suited to the context.
- Reputation: A key part of an interim manager’s career is building a professional reputation supported by client references. It is not enough to deliver results; it is essential that others be able to confirm those results and attest to the interim manager’s professional excellence.
Interim management reflects a broader transformation in the way organizations access leadership and expertise. Rather than relying exclusively on permanent executive structures, companies increasingly combine internal capabilities with external senior talent.
As business environments become more volatile and project-based, interim management is likely to play an increasingly important role in organizational success.
