Much is said and written about what interim management is, although its benefits are self-evident to anyone who has hired one.

I usually ask the interims I interview what they think interim management is – and they should know! They’ll often offer me a metaphor, another way of describing what they do. To many, it’s a way of life and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Those who chose this career path are backing themselves and years of experience of leading change.

Interims are usually so much better at describing their ‘lived experience’ of leading change and transformation. Explaining the benefits of hiring interims to the widest, global audience possible is where the interim industry falls short – particularly recruiters, leaving opportunities for large consulting firms to pitch and take on delivery work they really shouldn’t.

Few interims move across to become management consultants, but many management consultants become interims to be free to help businesses build, change and grow. Interims choose their career for the freedom to decide how change is done, based on their own worked, real experience. Interims offer leadership, strategic thinking, and change management experience. What sets them apart from most other professional services is their legacy of leaving capability, knowledge and skills in place. They pass on their experience to each client they work with. This extraordinary combination of benefits is possible because you get the interim you hire, each day, working with you.

You can’t copy or imitate the extraordinary value interims bring to businesses unless you’ve had a career’s worth and thousands of hours of change leadership experience.

In the words of an experienced interim executive, I spoke with yesterday, “You can’t fake 50 push ups.”

Nick Diprose is founder and leader of Holdsway, one of the UK’s highest ranking interim executive agents. #InterimExecutives #Change #Leadership #Transformation #Experience