Laura Klebanow’s Post

Research attained from Gartner shows that C-Suite leaders NEED to be focused on 3 key areas for the business... 1. Where to Grow 2. How to Grow 3. What actions will lead to this Growth To get there, executives will need to work closer than ever with their teams across the business. This is already starting to occur as I am seeing more executives joining conversations with Jopwell amongst new business and current partnerships. "We are in an environment where 62% of buyers are experiencing moderate to high dysfunction within their buying group, reducing the likelihood of high-quality deals" (Gartner, 2024). Part of what we are seeing is tenured buyers getting close to retirement and a new generation of leaders coming in to support new and existing initiatives that are designed to grow revenue amidst an ever-evolving market. To get the best results from these conversations, you have to be honest with yourselves; how diverse is your leadership team? From there, how diverse are their teams? If you believe your team is diverse, do they see it that way? I'd love to arrange a roundtable discussion on this matter to support executives on how they can balance their strategic and tactical initiatives tied to where they'll grow, how they'll grow, and what actions will lead to growth for the business by incorporating a diverse talent network, internally and externally. Interested? Let me know, and I will be sure to invite you. Being a part of a movement that champions a diverse and inclusive growth trajectory for the business and its current and future buyers is the most meaningful decision you can make, especially in the current and future environment we work in. #leadership #csuiteleaders #growth

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲? Turns out quite a lot. Had a conversation with a new fractional executive in our fractionalconnections community about whether business owners, VC's and private equity firm leaders understand what a "𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲" is - and is not. So many people who have lost jobs or want to leave jobs are being told to just become a fractional executive, are putting this label on their profile without really having the expertise to support what that label entails. There are fractional communities including all levels and all kinds of professionals under the fractional label - and these are not fractional leaders in the pure sense. 𝗔 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘀/𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮͟𝗰͟𝗰͟𝗼͟𝘂͟𝗻͟𝘁͟𝗮͟𝗯͟𝗶͟𝗹͟𝗶͟𝘁͟𝗶͟𝗲͟𝘀͟.͟ They didn't coach or give advice and walk away at implementation time. This is why at Fractional Connections we are working on a very special initiative to elevate and accelerate the awareness and appeal of fractional leadership. The supply of fractional execs is exploding. The definition is being significantly watered down. This will only damage the perception of the role and deplete the opportunities for everyone. If we want to see demand for fractional executives go up, we must be more discerning about the definition and the qualifications of our professionals. If we do not become more intentional about this, the opportunities will dissipate, trust in the concept will diminish, and more and more fractionals will need to go back to corporate America. #fractionalexecutives #privateequity #VistageLosAngeles

If after reading this article you are not only interested in this but also have decided that fractional leadership is the way that you want to grow your business, then please contact me. I would love to talk with you to discuss the possibilities.

Interesting article from Harvard Business Review. Taking advantage of the experience and expertise of seasoned professionals in key areas of leadership and sales is a winning strategy for many businesses. #Fractional https://lnkd.in/gaR3zCam

Right now, the status quo for so many organizational leaders is looking rough. Execs barely have the capacity to keep up with their own roles; delegating is out of the question. Teams are stretched thin or unknowingly working toward different priorities. Long-term goals feel unattainable since you barely cross the finish lines with short-term missions. Change is necessary but terrifying. Leaders know that repair and restructuring will cost money, time, and energy: three resources in short supply. At GCE, we FEEL you. Everyone on our team has sat in C-suite positions and felt the pressures that come with leadership. That’s why we’ve designed a way out of the chaos that doesn’t break the bank. 📈 Interim COOs are more than operations pros. They are seasoned executives who join your team to create more efficient workflows, align all departments under a clear set of goals, and turn long-term visions into an achievable roadmap. 🗺️ When Interim COOs start working, so does your business. Reach out to my team at GCE Strategic Consulting to learn more. https://buff.ly/3FxassZ #GCEStrategicConsulting #EOS #InterimCOO #FractionalExecutives #OperationalExpertise #BusinessGrowth

Last week I met with a Global COO of a Fortune 500 Manufacturing business and he told me something that I'd never heard before. He told me in his 30+ year career, he had only spoken to an agency 3 times, we asked how he managed to consistently grow his executive team without the need of external Talent Acquisition, especially with confidential Vice President searches. This is a COO who has been at Executive level for one of the largest businesses on the globe, and has been at President or SVP level for 15+ years. They were a business renowned for having executives with longer tenures, and we were curious why this was and he said this: "As a leader, I feel like I have failed if I have to hire someone outside of our business, if I have not created a succession plan or developed the next layer of talent, that is on me as a leader and I have failed. I'm talking to you right now to ask for support, because I have failed" What do you think? As a leader have you failed if you haven't built a succession plan or upskilled your team? Do you see better results when bringing in leaders from other businesses who can show you a different way of working? #leadership #executivesearch #fortune500

Right now, the status quo for so many organizational leaders is looking rough. Execs barely have the capacity to keep up with their own roles; delegating is out of the question. Teams are stretched thin or unknowingly working toward different priorities. Long-term goals feel unattainable since you barely cross the finish lines with short-term missions. Change is necessary but terrifying. Leaders know that repair and restructuring will cost money, time, and energy: three resources in short supply. At GCE, we FEEL you. Everyone on our team has sat in C-suite positions and felt the pressures that come with leadership. That’s why we’ve designed a way out of the chaos that doesn’t break the bank. 📈 Interim COOs are more than operations pros. They are seasoned executives who join your team to create more efficient workflows, align all departments under a clear set of goals, and turn long-term visions into an achievable roadmap. 🗺️ When Interim COOs start working, so does your business. Reach out to GCE to learn more. https://buff.ly/3FxassZ #GCEStrategicConsulting #EOS #InterimCOO #FractionalExecutives #OperationalExpertise #BusinessGrowth

Did you know there is more than one type of fractional exec role? ✅ Both are embedded in the client’s organization and are a member of their leadership team ✅ Both are responsible for developing and driving the implementation of a strategy ✅ Both are driving results and outcomes What are the two different types of fractional roles? The Operator - the most well known fractional role. They achieve the items I listed above by directly managing the people who are doing the work and implementing tactics on a day-to-day basis. This is a very hands-on role and can be time-intensive. The Advisor - also a fractional but they drive implementation through another leader in the organization. This type of fractional role tends to stay focused on strategy and guiding the implementation of a plan through that senior leader, which makes it less hands-on and less time-intensive. While there are important foundational elements to being a fractional vs a consultant (I list 3 above), you and your client get to craft an approach that works for the situation. Flexibility is often the key to getting alignment with your prospect and landing your next fractional engagement. Don’t take a one-size-fits-all perspective when crafting your approach to working with a new client. I’ll share a specific example of a Fractional CMO role I was recently in that was structured as an Advisor vs an Operator. Watch the full video to learn more about fractional roles: https://lnkd.in/eD4et8U4 #FractionalExec #FractionalRoles #Fractional

From fluctuating customer demands to seasonal trends, scaling your business up or down can seem daunting. But, with the right approach, it becomes a smooth endeavor. Here's your step-by-step guide: 1.) Begin with a thorough audit of your operations and identify routine tasks. Delegate these primary duties- they might include managing invoices or updating databases. 2.) Now, start to consider the specialized tasks. These fall into sectors such as Sales, Marketing, or HR. Train your personnel, or hire skilled professionals to carry the load of these tasks. 3.) The third step ushers in the management level. Whether you promote from within or bring in experts, ensure you have a robust system in place to monitor performance and accountability. 4.) Finally, the top tier represents executive leadership. This involves vision casting and steering the business overall direction. Remember, to transition from merely running a business to leading an enterprise, you must build a system that functions without you at the helm. #businessgrowth #leadership #scalability

We understand that C-suite executives are a unique breed of professionals. That's why we know that you need more than just qualified and competent leaders. You need gamechangers who can drive growth, innovation, and transformation. Talk to one of our consultants today to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gj58c_V8