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Leading as a Non-Full-Time Employee: 9 Strategies for Effective Team Management

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Leading teams effectively as a non-full-time leader poses unique challenges, so we've gathered insights from nine seasoned professionals, including founders and CEOs, to share their wisdom. From the importance of immersing oneself and leveraging outsider insights to the significance of consistency and relationship building, discover their invaluable tips for driving results in this dynamic context.

  • Immerse and Leverage Outsider Insights
  • Empower the Internal Team
  • Listen More, Talk Less
  • Deliver Quick Wins Early
  • Adapt to Client Communication Methods
  • Focus on Community and Confidence
  • Establish Transparency and Accountability
  • Lead With Empathy and Integrity
  • Consistency and Relationship Building Key

Immerse and Leverage Outsider Insights

Here's my top tip: immerse yourself in the company culture and operations as if you were a full-time employee, but leverage your outsider perspective to bring fresh insights.

Let me share a quick example. A few years back, I was brought in to lead a digital transformation project for a traditional manufacturing company. On my first day, instead of diving straight into strategy meetings, I spent time on the factory floor, talking to line workers and supervisors. I learned their pain points, their daily routines, and the unofficial "ways things get done" that you won't find in any company manual.

This approach accomplished two crucial things:

  1. It showed the team that I valued their input and wasn't just another consultant swooping in with theoretical solutions.
  2. It gave me invaluable insights into the company's real operational challenges, which helped shape a more effective strategy.

By the end of the first week, I had earned the respect of the frontline workers and had a treasure trove of insights that the C-suite executives were amazed by. This laid the groundwork for the trust and buy-in we needed to implement some pretty radical changes.

- Joey Lowery, Founder & Marketing Coach, Media Shark


Empower the Internal Team

The key to leading teams and driving results as a fractional CMO lies in clear goal-setting, building strong relationships, leveraging expertise, focusing on data-driven decisions, and maintaining flexibility. But primarily, it's about empowering the internal team. Since execution frequently falls on the internal team members, you have to be their ally by providing them with the knowledge, tools, and autonomy to do their job even better. Empower them to foster a sense of ownership by giving them skill development opportunities and the chance to drive results independently.

Megan Ferguson
Megan Ferguson, Founder, Backcourt Marketing

Listen More, Talk Less

When I first began a fractional role with my client, I quickly realized that I was entering a well-established ecosystem as an agent of change. My very presence, as well as what I was being tasked to change, would automatically serve as a disruption to the way things have always been done.

The thing to always remember is that there are people on the other side of every interaction: people I will need to work with today, tomorrow, next week, and six months from now. This is where having two ears and one mouth comes in: I need to do far more listening than talking, so that I can understand the dynamics I'm trying to immerse myself into.

By demonstrating a commitment to understanding what has been done and—just as importantly—why it was done that way, I can then foster a willingness for my new colleagues to listen to my ideas and initiatives.

Underneath all of it is having the very authentic intention to make the lives of my colleagues better, as well as making the business better.

Rachel Moore
Rachel Moore, CEO, But Wait, There's Moore

Deliver Quick Wins Early

Leading teams and driving results in a company where you're not a full-time employee requires demonstrating your expertise and value early on. One piece of advice is to deliver quick wins by addressing immediate pain points or challenges. This not only builds credibility but also motivates the team by showing tangible progress and results.

In my experience with healthcare product marketing, quickly identifying and solving key issues can significantly boost team morale and confidence. By focusing on these quick wins, you create a foundation of trust and demonstrate your ability to make a meaningful impact.

Once the team sees the immediate benefits of your contributions, they are more likely to be engaged and collaborative. This approach helps in establishing a productive working relationship and sets the stage for achieving long-term goals together.

Greg Davis
Greg Davis, Healthcare Marketing Consultant, Azola Creative

Adapt to Client Communication Methods

When I work as a fractional C-suite executive with a business, leading the team to drive results is both the most important and the most challenging task. Over the years, I've learned that consistent and open communication is key.

I always begin by asking about their preferred communication method. As consultants and contractors, we often have our own communication platforms, but I've found that adapting to what's easiest for the client, especially at the start of the relationship, naturally leads to better results.

Consistency is also crucial. Schedule weekly calls with the team, even if they're only 15 minutes long. These meetings ensure everyone is on the same page, knows what needs to be done, and can be held accountable.

Inbar Madar
Inbar Madar, CEO and Business Consultant, M.I. Business Consulting

Focus on Community and Confidence

Stepping into a leadership role part-time presents both opportunities and challenges. While time with the team is constrained, focusing on communication, community, and confidence can help overcome this hurdle and maximize our impact. 

Clear, consistent communication keeps everyone informed of goals, responsibilities, and progress, even when absent. Weekly updates are shared through online check-ins and documentation so the team understands how their work connects to our broader strategy and remains aligned. In-person meetings are also held monthly for discussion and feedback in a collaborative setting.

Fostering a strong sense of community where people support each other is vital. I encourage cross-departmental collaboration through team-building activities and brainstorming solutions to challenges as a united group. An inclusive culture where all voices and perspectives are heard and respected builds confidence as people realize we all work towards the same mission.

Expressing belief in the team's abilities and allowing them to make autonomous decisions between my visits builds confidence from within. By establishing reliable processes, documenting best practices, and leading by example, I empower others to problem-solve independently and continue moving performance forward.

Regular progress reports help keep motivation high by celebrating wins. Addressing obstacles openly as a team and crowdsourcing ideas nurtures adaptation. With communication, community, and confidence as guiding lights, a part-time leadership role need not be a limitation. Instead, it becomes a strength that can drive immediate gains and also cultivate lasting organizational growth from within.

- Lisa Charles, CEO and Brain/Body/Business Alignment Coach, Embrace Your Fitness, LLC

Establish Transparency and Accountability

As a fractional CMO, I’ve found that establishing transparency and accountability are key to driving results as a non-full-time employee. I set clear KPIs and key results at the beginning of each engagement to ensure the client and I are aligned on what success looks like. For example, when I began working with an e-commerce startup, we established KPIs around traffic, conversion rate, and customer acquisition costs. By reporting on these metrics weekly, we were able to make data-driven decisions that led to a 35% increase in sales in the first 90 days.

I also believe leading by example is important. Even though I’m only involved part-time, I make myself available to answer questions and provide guidance when needed. For example, when the dev team had questions about how to optimize the startup’s Shopify store for speed and SEO, I jumped on a call to walk them through technical recommendations.

Finally, I focus on outcomes over hours. As a fractional CMO, I care more about achieving key results than clocking a certain number of hours each week. This approach, combined with consistent communication and availability, has allowed me to drive impact and help companies achieve their goals, even without being a traditional full-time employee. My advice is to establish transparency, lead by example, and focus on outcomes—not hours. That’s the key to leading high-performing teams in any capacity.

Haiko de Poel Jr
- Haiko de Poel Jr, Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, Surety Bonds Co

Lead With Empathy and Integrity

When I led a product team, driving results within very tight timelines, and was on contract rather than a full-time employee, it actually did not matter in the way I approached the team. I approached the effort the same way I would otherwise, which is leading with empathy and integrity, ensuring my team has roadblocks removed, and keeping them all moving forward with a clear vision ahead of us. 

The main difference I noticed is that being a contractor actually kept my stress level down because I felt engaged and driven, but a bit distant from the politics in large companies. I felt like I could focus more on the results instead of the additional work it can take to establish oneself as a valued employee long-term within an organization.

- Sarah Navarre, Co-Owner of the VanderRose Brand & Editor-in-Chief of VanderRose Magazine, VanderRose

Consistency and Relationship Building Key

In my experience leading teams across various domains, from ministry to creative projects, I've found that driving results as a part-time leader hinges on three key principles: consistency, relationship-building, and clear communication.

Consistency is crucial. Show up prepared, follow through on commitments, and maintain a positive, can-do attitude. This approach has been particularly effective in coordinating both large and small-scale projects in the web/software development field and in ministry settings. By consistently striving to bring my A-game, I've seen team members grow to trust and respect my leadership, even if I'm not physically present every day.

However, the heart of effective leadership lies in relationships. Make it a priority to truly understand each team member—their strengths, challenges, and what motivates them. For instance, when managing creative projects, I've found that taking the time for one-on-one conversations allows me to align tasks with individual passions, leading to increased engagement and better outcomes.

Clear communication is the glue that holds it all together. Be crystal clear about what you expect, give feedback (the good, the bad, and the “let's work on this” kind), and keep the lines of communication wide open. When people feel like they're in the loop and that their ideas matter and are being heard, they're going to be all fired up to crush those goals. This kind of open dialogue creates an environment where team members feel empowered to take ownership of their roles and drive results independently.

By leading with consistency, fostering meaningful connections, and maintaining open lines of communication, I've seen teams thrive and achieve remarkable goals, even without my constant physical presence. This approach has proven invaluable in balancing my roles in ministry and creative fields.

Austin W. Duncan
Austin W. Duncan, Associate Pastor, New Hope Community Church

 

We hope that these valuable insights from fractional leaders have given you affirmation and/or inspiration for how you tackle effective team management as a fractional leader!

If you are a fractional leader with experience in fundraising, development, nonprofits, or higher education and looking for more fractional work, we'd love to connect with you!