Karma Israelsen: Generalist Interim Leader
Imagine walking into your first executive meeting with a new leadership team - you’ve been brought in as interim CEO after the former CEO abruptly resigned.
The organization is in the midst of several crises and a rapidly changing external environment. The staff is demoralized and disengaged.
They are also suspicious because you were formally the board chair and they believed that you had oversight of the former CEO and were to blame for the challenges the organization is facing.
Even though you and the board of directors have been clear that the role is a temporary position (initially 3-months with the goal of keeping day-to-day operations functioning while the board began searching for a permanent CEO), many staff and stakeholders distrust the interim appointment. Change is difficult and a sudden transition of executive leaders can have a destabilizing effect on a team.
In addition to serving as the public face of the organization, interim leaders are just as likely to become, to quote an old adage, the chief cook and bottle washer and sometimes therapist (Kleenex comes in handy in those early weeks)! Working in this capacity can be exciting and transformative but the role also presents myriad challenges.
This dynamic is precisely what Karma Israelsen is ready to tackle when she seeks out her next interim CEO or COO gig - a function that is well suited to her unique skillset as a culture transformer, people connector, and operations-minded leader.
In one particular instance, Karma jumped in to lead a primary care practice during a period of transition and rapid growth. This interim assignment started as the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) was passed and lasted through the implementation of the ACA (so an easy time with no challenges at all)!
The company grappled with recruiting and retaining the right talent for its evolving needs, a problem compounded by their poor external reputation. Additionally, the rapidly changing environment made it difficult to determine what specific expertise was required.
Being a professional interim leader herself, Karma was primed to think outside the typical talent paradigm and saw that the short-to-mid-term talent profile might differ from what the organization needed long term.
Instead of stacking the team with full-time hires that might not match up with future needs, she engaged a bevy of fractional leaders who could lend expertise to the current set of problems on a part-time basis.
The fractional leaders she brought in delivered value the minute they walked in the door - they brought fresh perspectives and offered immediate relief to a team that had been understaffed and running over capacity for months.
The talent Karma recruited during this push was primarily Generalists - she found their ability to work across industries, navigate uncertainty, adapt quickly, and connect various facets of a complex problem was exactly what was needed to get the team moving in the right direction.
By engaging a team of HR Generalists, she was able to tackle a variety of both tactical and strategic issues concurrently. The most impactful piece of work the team did was an organization-wide cultural assessment which served as a jumping-off point for much of the work undertaken during her interim engagement.
Together they set out a comprehensive plan for a full organizational redesign, the development of a holistic compensation plan, streamlined hiring and orientation process, and implementation of a training and development program–among other things.
Because she sees the world through the lens of a Generalist, it is easy for Karma to know how to leverage the capabilities and unique skills other Generalists bring to a team and match them with specialists to super-charge the operation.
She is now on a crusade to highlight this powerful combination for other leaders and HR professionals - extending the reach of Generalists and fractional professionals into new organizations.
She offers a few pearls of wisdom for other Generalists:
Find your tribe - meet and network with other Generalists and learn how they successfully position themselves in the market
Second - when selling your services, clearly outline and articulate what you offer that will solve a specific business problem (while highlighting the fact that you can support and provide value in multiple areas!)
Finally, ask for help and referrals. It can be a challenge but is incredibly powerful when growing your business.
Karma is a people connector, culture transformer, and C-suite executive who is passionate about driving lasting change. She founded the Pro Tempore Leadership Group which specializes in providing interim executive leadership and strategic and operational support for companies in the turnaround or growth phase, including the development and delivery of sustainable solutions.
You can contact Karma on LinkedIn or email at karma at pro-temporelg.com !