Trust on Day 1: what fractional CXOs can teach all new leaders

Joining a company as a fractional CXO offers flexibility and innovation, but it also comes with hurdles – no legacy knowledge, no established trust, and no clear roadmap for what success looks like. More companies will continue to turn towards fractional C-suite talent in 2025, increasing the conversation around what actually works in a fractional role.

Understanding systems, tools, and team building are all facets of executive leadership that make or break a new hire in a fractional role. We gathered insights from Maria Frolova, a Fractional CFO for TrueLead LMS, and Jason Scoggins, a Fractional Operations expert, to understand their strategies, challenges, and outlook for fractional leadership in 2025:

Building Trust: For Frolova, building trust starts with understanding each company’s unique needs. "As you are getting up to speed, focus on listening versus making specific recommendations right away," she advises. "Meet as many people as possible…you can't be a thought partner unless you earn your stripes." She stresses the importance of empathy and patience, especially given the CFO’s role in managing conflicts like balancing cash flow and stakeholder expectations.

Scoggins emphasizes the need for transparency in communication with "no surprises, just clear, concise updates". He also includes that he listens more than he speaks to learn about team dynamics, personalities, and current pain points. "Then, I identify a quick win, something small but impactful I can deliver to show value to each individual or their department early on."

Tools: Both Frolova and Scoggins highlight the importance of organizational tools for managing multiple clients. Frolova merges her four calendars into one and uses simple AI assistants and spreadsheets to manage business development. However, she warns, "Fractional work with several clients is not for everyone; no AI will help you if you can’t multitask."

Scoggins relies on tools like Trello for task tracking and Slack for real-time collaboration. For data security, he ensures encrypted platforms like LastPass and secure file-sharing systems with strict permissions. "The only thing worse than a missed deadline is a data breach," he notes, emphasizing adherence to industry-standard best practices.

Demonstrating ROI: Frolova notes that KPIs depend heavily on the client’s industry and stage but highlights recurring revenue, backlog, and business development events as her personal measures of success. For clients, she designs KPIs around core financial processes like vendor payments and budgeting.

Scoggins measures success through efficiency, cost savings, and client satisfaction. "If I’m driving new initiatives, I’ll look at conversion rates, customer retention, or any relevant sales metrics," he explains. He emphasizes the importance of net profitability and happy clients, adding, "If I’m making them smile while hitting KPIs, I know I’m on the right track!"

Strategic Partners: Both experts agree that fractional roles are here to stay. Frolova sees growing interest among early-stage companies while Scoggins predicts that fractional hires will be the “secret sauce” for businesses in 2025. 

"With the rise of agile workforces and remote collaboration, fractional roles are becoming integral to long-term strategy," he explains. Rather than being temporary fixes, he sees fractional executives as strategic partners contributing to sustained competitive advantage.