Sitting metres away from the Harlequins Rugby team bench in April, I was watching director of rugby Paul Gustard jabbing at a note pad and then gesturing at the field of play. He was briefing England rugby star Chris Robshaw, one of his most experienced players.

The brief was clear, with an agreed time frame:

“Chris, you’ve 25 minutes.  Use your experience to change the game, give some leadership to the team and get the win!”.

As Chris charged on, 15,000 fans roared their approval as the Harlequins ‘game-changer’ was introduced to the crowd.

Every time I watch someone like Chris Robshaw sprint onto the pitch as an experienced impact player with a clear brief, I think of interim executives, because they are the expert game changers.

It takes years of practical experience of winning, losing, learning and applying knowledge to be able to walk into any situation and instinctively know what to do next. Part of it is credibility, which often comes with maturity or time served. Most of all, the ability to deliver and lead a change or transition comes from having done something similar before, many times over.

What makes these expert game changers different is their instinctive ability to apply their experience across all kinds of situations. They sprint on, a clear brief in their head, galvanising people into action, leading with actions, passing on their knowledge and above all, delivering results.

Interim executives help organisations accelerate change, manage transition, uncertainty or crisis for an agreed period of time. They are suitably overqualified and proven at leadership level. Hiring interim executives is the rapid deployment of an impactful, experienced resource.

They are the ultimate game changers!

Follow us on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and Instagram (@holdswayinterim) to keep up-to-date with our latest news and blogs.