847.849.2800
Contact
I have lost count of the number of company owners I’ve met who need help but are scared to death about hiring a consultant. Owners say it all boils down to shoveling out a lot of cash to an outsider without being sure that it will pay off.
I first wrote about this concern in a HuffPost article more than a decade ago. Interim leadership was far less familiar in the United States then. But the question those owners asked me remains as relevant as ever: Who is going to do the work?
The Risk of the “Articulate Incompetent”
A former Fortune 50 CEO gave me a memorable description of what worried him about outside advisers.
“I think a lot of times when the consultants come in, their big advantage is that they come across very self-confident and sound great,” he told me. “But I’m always very worried about what I refer to as the articulate incompetent.”
He went on to explain that an impressive presentation does not necessarily mean the person giving it has ever operated a business, led a team, or been accountable for the consequences of a decision.
That does not describe every consultant. There are superb consultants who bring knowledge, objectivity, and analytical discipline that a company may not possess internally.
But his larger point was right: Knowing what a company should do and assuming responsibility for doing it are two very different things.
Owners Want Someone Who Understands the Business
Joel Rosenbacher, President and CEO of Assemblers Inc., expressed another concern I have heard repeatedly from owners.
“Last time I brought in a consultant, they didn’t understand my business, and in the end, it was a big waste of time. I need someone who will actually get something done and not just talk a good talk.
— Joel Rosenbacher, President and CEO of Assemblers Inc.
Most middle market companies do not have unlimited time, money, or management bandwidth. A recommendation that cannot be implemented with the company’s people, resources, and operating realities is not much of a recommendation.
The Difference Is Decision-Making
John Collard, an experienced turnaround leader, summarized the distinction for me:
The key differentiating factor between a consultant and interim executive is decision making.
— John Collard, experienced turnaround leader
An interim executive does not simply advise the CEO or board. The interim steps inside the company, assumes a defined leadership mandate, and begins making decisions.
The person may lead the finance function, run operations, stabilize a leadership team, oversee a transformation, or prepare the company for a permanent executive. Whatever the assignment, the interim is responsible for moving the organization forward.
As John said, interims are measured on results. If they are not delivering, the owner can show them the door. An executive who cannot produce results will not survive long in interim leadership.
Free Guide
The Complete Guide to Interim Management
Free Download
The Complete Guide to Interim Management
Everything owners, investors, and boards need to know about deploying interim executives — when to use them, how to vet them, what to pay, and how to get results fast.
“My Job Is to Get Things Done”
Robert Martin, an experienced finance and marketing interim executive, saw his independence from company politics as one of the role’s greatest advantages.
“I’m not trying to impress anybody. My job is to get things done.”
— Robert Martin, an experienced finance and marketing interim executive
Martin was brought into a software company by a newly appointed CMO who knew she needed to make immediate changes. She needed someone who could operate independently, earn her trust, and help translate her priorities into action.
Martin created systems that gave the company a more accurate view of the sales it could expect from a promotional campaign.
He did not give management a presentation recommending better forecasting. He built a better forecasting process.
That is the kind of distinction owners recognize immediately.
Need a side-by-side breakdown? Read our complete interim executive vs. consultant comparison guide.
Experienced Operators Can Get a Company Unstuck
One executive involved in that assignment described the benefit this way: An interim brings enough experience and perspective to identify the issues and get them unstuck.
That remains one of the best descriptions of interim leadership I have heard.
The interim has usually encountered a similar problem before. That does not mean the executive arrives with a generic playbook and imposes it on the business. Every company is different.
It means the executive recognizes warning signs, understands the questions to ask, and can distinguish the urgent issue from the merely noisy one. The interim can move more quickly because less time is spent learning how to be an executive and more time is spent understanding this particular business.
Private Equity Recognized the Model Early
Private equity firms were among the earliest users of interim executives because they understand that time has a direct effect on investment returns.
A private equity sponsor may acquire an entrepreneur-led company with a strong product and significant growth potential but without the financial, operational, or technology infrastructure required for its next stage.
The company might need an interim CFO to strengthen reporting, improve cash management, and prepare the finance function to support growth. It might need an interim COO to improve performance on the plant floor or an interim CIO to lead a systems implementation.
The need may be temporary, but the executive is expected to produce durable results.
That same logic now applies well beyond private equity. Family businesses, founder-led companies, nonprofits, public companies, and middle-market organizations all encounter moments when they need more leadership than they currently have.
What Has Changed Since My HuffPost Article?
When I wrote the original article, interim executives were seen as emergency replacements. They were brought in when an executive suddenly departed and the company needed someone to keep things running.
That still happens, but the market has matured.
Companies now engage interim executives to lead turnarounds, integrations, rapid growth, technology implementations, AI initiatives, leadership transitions, and preparations for a sale. They are not merely holding a position open. They are being asked to accomplish something important.
Heidrick & Struggles’ 2026 research reflects that change. Its survey found that organizations use interim talent to gain specialized expertise, bring an objective perspective, move initiatives faster, and expand leadership bandwidth. Forty-two percent of reported engagements lasted longer than six months, up from 27% in 2021.
What was once considered an unusual staffing solution has become part of the way companies access experienced leadership.
Advice or Action?
Consultants and interim executives are not interchangeable, and one is not universally better than the other.
If you need an independent assessment, specialized research, or strategic advice that your existing team can implement, hire a good consultant.
If you need someone to assume authority, lead employees, make difficult decisions, and remain accountable for implementation, you probably need an interim executive.
The lesson I took from those business owners years ago is still the one I hear today: Advice has value, but only if someone can turn it into action.
For a practical breakdown of the two models, read our “Interim Executive vs. Consultant: How to Choose the Right Outside Expertise” comparison guide.
Need help now?
Talk to Us About Your Organization’s Needs
Reach out to Bob Jordan for a confidential conversation about your organization and what type of outside expertise you need.
Read More
FAQs: Hiring an Outside Business Expert
Owners may worry about paying for recommendations that do not reflect the company’s operating realities or that the internal team lacks the time and resources to implement. The concern is often not the quality of the advice but whether it will produce action and measurable results.
Operating experience indicates that the expert has made decisions, led employees, managed competing priorities, and been accountable for outcomes. That perspective can be especially important when the assignment requires implementation rather than analysis alone.
Yes. Although an interim works inside the organization, the temporary nature of the role can provide independence from longstanding politics and career considerations. A strong interim can identify difficult issues objectively while still working collaboratively with the team.
An interim is responsible for advancing defined business objectives, not merely delivering a recommendation. Depending on the assignment, the executive may be measured by financial improvement, operational performance, project completion, organizational stability, or progress through a leadership transition.
No. Companies continue to use interims for sudden leadership vacancies and crises, but they also engage them proactively for transformations, acquisitions, rapid growth, systems implementations, performance improvement, and other strategic initiatives.
