The Leadership Relay: Keeping Teams Agile with Rotational Roles
Leadership rotation is essential for keeping executive teams agile and preventing stagnation. Regularly rotating leaders help keep ideas fresh and prevent blind spots, lack of objectivity, power imbalances, entrenchment, and groupthink. Without regular leadership changes, companies risk stifling innovation, damaging their culture, and undermining overall performance.
How Long is Too Long?
On average, CEOs or senior executives stay in their roles for 6-8 years. However, the initial burst of innovation and energy fades around three years, and leaders can become entrenched in their routines. Regular leadership rotation—or bringing in fractional leaders—can prevent this, helping keep organisations agile and competitive.
Leadership rotation is a tried-and-true method grounded in leadership development theory, designed to keep teams fresh and adaptable. The concept is simple: regularly changing roles helps prevent people from getting stuck in old habits and encourages continuous learning. It’s nothing new—militaries worldwide, like the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, and Australia, have been doing this for years..
Companies That Practise Leadership Rotation
Many top companies practise leadership rotation to keep their teams fresh and adaptable.
Unilever: Rotates leadership every 2-3 years, exposing leaders to different functions and regions.
Procter & Gamble: Regularly moves senior executives to share best practices and prevent stagnation.
General Electric (GE): Jack Welch promoted rotating senior managers to give them broad business exposure.
IBM: Uses rotations to prepare leaders for shifts in technology and markets.
Google: Encourages informal job rotation to keep leadership ideas fresh and avoid silos.
Apple: Implements a layered leadership structure, allowing leaders at different levels to rotate into new roles and bring fresh perspectives.
The Fractional Executive Solution
If leadership rotation feels like a long-game strategy, fractional executive roles offer a faster, more flexible, and affordable alternative. A fractional executive works with your organisation part-time or on a project basis, bringing fresh leadership perspectives without the cost of a full-time hire.
Roles well-suited for fractional executive positions include:
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
The Collective’s Approach to Fractional Leadership
At The Collective, you’re not just getting one expert but a supercharged leadership team. With Grace McNamara, Jennifer Halsall, and Susanne de Schepper working together, you have the power of three leaders in one role, offering a range of insights and solutions that go far beyond what a single executive can deliver. This approach accelerates decision-making and brings balanced expertise to every challenge.
At The Collective, we combine our expertise as executive leaders and seasoned athletes to bring a fresh approach to health, sport, and fitness leadership. We offer flexible solutions through fractional executive roles, board positions, and leadership development, ensuring your organisation gains high-level strategic insights. Our focus is on creating real, lasting impact at every level—from aspiring professionals to board directors—driving meaningful and sustainable growth.
Interested in learning more? Explore our services.
References
Thinkers50. "When is it Time to Go: The Pros and Cons of Long Executive and CEO Tenure." Thinkers50, 2023.
Board Excellence. "Long-Serving Board Directors: Challenges and Opportunities." Board Excellence.
Psychology Today. "How (and Why) Power Corrupts People." Psychology Today.
Defensie.nl. "Netherlands Defence Doctrine." Defensie.nl.
HCSS.nl. "Netherlands Defence Strategy to 2035." HCSS.nl.
Apple. "Apple University and Layered Leadership." AppleInsider and Knowledge at Wharton.
Together Mentoring Software. "6 Examples Of Incredible Leadership Development Programs." TogetherPlatform.
