We brought on a fractional Chief Financial Officer to help us prepare for an exit, but they treat our weekly Level 10 Meeting™ as a side gig and are not building relationships with the rest of our leadership team. How do we manage a fractional leader who is stalling our team's cohesion?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A fractional leader must be fully integrated into your leadership team culture. If they act like an outside consultant who just drops in to deliver reports, they will damage team cohesion and slow down your execution.

First, clarify your expectations. A fractional seat on your Accountability Chart is still a seat. That means the fractional leader must GWC™ their role, live your core values, and participate fully in your EOS® rhythm. They must attend the weekly Level 10 Meeting™ from start to finish, not just pop in for their specific agenda item.

Second, address the relationship gap directly. Schedule a one-on-one meeting and explain that trust is built through vulnerability and peer-to-peer interaction. If they are not engaging with other leaders outside of formal meetings, they cannot effectively solve cross-functional issues.

If the fractional leader is unwilling or unable to commit to your team's culture, you need to replace them. Do not let their fractional status excuse poor team dynamics. You need a unified leadership team to scale and prepare for a clean exit, and every single seat must be occupied by someone who is fully invested in your team's success.