When a leadership position in a company becomes vacant—due to resignation, illness, or restructuring—a vacuum is created. And vacuums are costly: decisions aren’t made, teams lose direction, and projects stall.

But there is a second, equally common situation: companies—especially SMEs—need a specific leadership skill set only for a limited time, or they might not be able to fully utilize an internal candidate for the role. Creating a dedicated position would be disproportionate. A permanent hire would be excessive. A temporary external solution is the practical answer. In both cases, we temporarily assume operational leadership responsibilities—in a stable, reliable manner and with the explicit goal of not only maintaining operations but also creating structures that will endure after we leave. We build up, not tear down.