Matthew Curtis
Navigating through troubled & rapidly changing times.
At the time of writing the leaders of nations, businesses and households and grappling with the global corona virus pandemic.
This is a fast moving crisis situation of the like none of us have experienced before as individuals, parents, children or as leaders.
Many of us are having to adapt to new ways of working, living and communicating and leading our teams and organisations.
A lot of us will be facing some very difficult situations personally and in our business lives and eyes will be upon us a leaders for clarity - when perhaps we have none ourselves, for direction - when perhaps the way forward is not obvious and for support - when perhaps we too are feeling overwhelmed.
In fast moving situations when acting in a timely clear and decisive fashion it's easy to become autocratic and lose sight of your "why" your core purpose and to rapidly head off in directions that stakeholders may feel are at odds with your espoused values and brand message.
My recommendations to help are as follows, make your communications with your teams open honest and transparent, they are all aware of the current situation and it is ok to show vulnerability whilst still showing strong leadership.
Do not prioritise solving the issue of the day above maintaining your reputation or that of your organisation. Involve others, that might mean forming a small crisis team of other leaders, stakeholders and advisors, have short and purposeful meetings daily if possible using technology to ensure social distancing in this situation.
Why daily? In a fast moving situation its important to be working on todays issues today and not yesterday's. Introduce a crisp and standard running order for your meetings.
For example.
Situation Report (Sit Rep) - Our current situation, make it a fact rich and time stamped record.
Today's "Must win battles" - the critical issues to be addressed in this 24 hr period, based upon the Sit Rep and balanced against your core purpose & values.
Action log - record the decisions you have taken, and why. Are your actions reflective of good governance and balancing head vs heart. Ask how you might be remembered for the actions you take? Make sure your action log is constantly updated, all actions have an owner and are time bound for completion.
Summarise, clarify understanding with each team member.
Remember this is not a time to deliberate and seek perfect or elegant solutions ... good is good enough, be bold, be positive and be led by your purpose and values.
In order to make up ground and increase your own and your organisations state of preparedness you may also want to create a team with some of your most creative minds to think about worst case scenarios - if you could see the worst things coming what might you put in place now before they arrive? Could some of the actions you are already taking be scaled to tackle a worst case scenario?
Create time each day to reflect upon how you can bounce yourself, your team or your business forwards rather than bouncing back. What changes have you had to adopt that you could embrace and develop further to build a more resilient and future proof organisation.
Across the last 18 months, we’ve spoken with more than 70 founders, directors, senior managers and emerging leaders across UK SMEs and mid‑market organisations. Different industries. Different stages of growth. Different cultures. Yet the same leadership challenges surfaced again and again. These insights aren’t theoretical. They’re real, repeated, and shaping the future capabilities of organisations trying to scale. Below, we share the four most prominent leadership trends that emerged — and what businesses can do to address them. 1. The Leadership Development Gap Is Wider Than Ever One of the clearest trends is this: Leaders are promoted early but developed late. Many take on their first leadership role before 30. Yet they often don’t receive meaningful training, mentoring or coaching until after 40. That means a decade of: Learning through trial and error Relying on inherited habits (often from poor managers) Inconsistent decision‑making Teams absorbing the cost of avoidable mistakes This “sink or swim” approach creates predictable problems: ⚠️ High turnover ⚠️ Misaligned behaviours ⚠️ Poor communication ⚠️ Burnout for talented individuals “figuring it out” alone. The good news? This gap is entirely solvable with structured development pathways — ones that begin the moment someone shows leadership potential, not after they’ve already struggled in the role. 2. Change Isn’t the Problem — Uncertainty Is While every organisation is grappling with change, the real challenge leaders face is leading people through it. Across hundreds of comments, a consistent message emerged: People don’t resist change. They resist feeling unprepared for it. Teams fear: Losing competence Being left behind Increased pressure without clarity Change that feels imposed rather than explained The most successful leaders do three things exceptionally well: Create a clear, compelling narrative for change Explain the opportunity — what improves for customers, teams, or the business Address the risk of doing nothing When leaders shift from “telling people what’s changing” to “helping people see why change matters,” adoption accelerates and resistance drops. 3. The hardest step in a career isn’t senior → director... It’s expert → leader. This is the transition that repeatedly causes the most friction. Top performers get promoted because they’re technically strong. But the moment they lead others, the job changes completely. They must shift from: Doing → Enabling Solving → Coaching Control → Empowerment Certainty → Curiosity And that identity shift doesn’t happen automatically. In many cases, new managers feel stuck between “being the expert” and “being a leader,” resulting in: Poor delegation Over-involvement in the work Bottlenecks Frustrated teams Emotional exhaustion Formal support during this transition — through coaching, manager frameworks, and practical skill‑building — is one of the highest‑ROI investments any business can make. 4. Growing organisations need structure — not just great intentions Many early‑stage or founder-led businesses reach a tipping point where informal ways of leading no longer scale. We repeatedly heard challenges such as: “We’ve grown too quickly for our processes.” “People don’t have clarity on expectations.” “We need to formalise how leadership works here.” “We don’t have a consistent set of values or behaviours.” The fix isn’t bureaucracy. It’s structure with purpose. Growing organisations benefit massively from: ✔ Clear, lived company values Not posters. Behaviours. ✔ Defined leadership pathways So people know what leadership looks like here. ✔ Competency models That create consistency in how leaders coach, communicate, and make decisions. ✔ Succession planning So progress is planned, not reactive. ✔ A leadership development system Integrated into performance, recruitment, and culture. When these foundations are in place, businesses scale faster without losing who they are . What This Means for UK Businesses in 2026 Across all four trends, one message stands out: Leadership isn’t something you leave to chance. It’s something you build deliberately. The organisations that will win in the next decade won’t simply have great products or services. They’ll have strong leaders at every level — equipped, confident, aligned, and ready. That takes intentional design, evidence‑based development, and the kind of structured support that turns potential into capability. How M4C Helps At M4C, we work with leaders and organisations to: Diagnose their leadership capability Build competency-led development pathways Equip new managers with practical, usable leadership skills Support founder transitions and succession planning Embed change-ready cultures Create scalable leadership systems that organisations can own long-term If your organisation is growing — or needs leadership to grow — we’d love to help you build the structures and capability to get there with confidence..
In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, agility and expertise are more critical than ever. For UK businesses—especially SMEs and startups—accessing top-tier leadership without the financial burden of full-time executive hires is no longer a pipe dream. Enter the fractional director : a flexible, cost-effective solution that’s reshaping how companies scale, strategise, and succeed. What Is a Fractional Director? A fractional director is a seasoned executive—such as a CFO, CMO, or Commercial Director—who works with a business on a part-time, interim, or project basis. Unlike traditional full-time hires, fractional directors bring high-level strategic insight and leadership while offering the flexibility to engage only when needed. The Business Case for Fractional Leadership UK companies are increasingly embracing fractional leadership, and the reasons are compelling: Access to Elite Talent : Fractional directors often come with decades of experience across industries. For smaller firms that may struggle to attract full-time C-suite talent, fractional roles open the door to expertise that would otherwise be out of reach. Cost Efficiency : Businesses report savings of 40–60% in labour costs by hiring fractional executives compared to full-time counterparts This model allows companies to pay only for the time and expertise they need—no overheads, no long-term commitments. Strategic Agility : Fractional directors are adept at hitting the ground running. Whether it’s navigating a growth phase, entering new markets, or managing change, they deliver rapid impact with minimal disruption. Scalability and Flexibility : Companies can scale leadership resources up or down based on evolving needs. This is especially valuable in uncertain economic climates, where adaptability is key. Objective Decision-Making : Operating outside internal politics, fractional directors offer unbiased perspectives and challenge the status quo—often leading to innovative solutions and improved performance . A Growing Trend in the UK The rise of fractional working in the UK is more than a passing trend—it’s a strategic shift. In early 2025, around 5% of UK employees were in interim roles, with many more operating as independent contractors. Why Now? Post-pandemic shifts, economic uncertainty, and the rise of AI-driven automation have all contributed to a rethinking of traditional employment models. Businesses are under pressure to stay lean while still accessing the strategic leadership needed to thrive. Fractional directors offer a way to do just that. As Roei Samuel, CEO of Connectd, puts it: “Fractional leadership isn’t a stopgap. It’s a scalable, sustainable model for the future of work that enables smaller companies to grow smarter.” Conclusion: A Smarter Way to Scale For UK businesses looking to stay competitive, fractional directors offer a powerful blend of expertise, flexibility, and financial efficiency. Whether you're a startup navigating early growth or an established firm seeking fresh strategic insight, fractional leadership could be the key to unlocking your next phase of success. At M4C Ltd , we help businesses connect with the right fractional talent to drive transformation and growth. Get in touch to explore how a fractional director could elevate your business.
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