Why Travel Matters (a lot) in Fractional Executive Work

One of the biggest misconceptions about fractional executive work is that you either have to be physically present all the time — or not at all.

Both extremes are wrong.

And both extremes kill momentum.

Over the years, I’ve learned that being close to a team absolutely helps.

But being constantly present doesn’t.

There is a very specific rhythm to this work:

Come in. Move things forward with intensity. Create clarity. Make decisions. Enable progress. And then step out again so the team can breathe.

If you stay too long, you dilute your energy.

If you’re never there, you lose your impact.

Finding the middle is where the magic happens.

Travel Isn’t a Luxury — It’s a Tool

I travel a lot for my fractional roles, and I do it very intentionally.

Wherever the team is — I go.

Not because it’s glamorous.

Not because I want to “be seen.”

But because presence still matters.

There’s something about:

• sitting next to someone while reviewing their roadmap
• reading a room during a tough discussion
• looking a team lead in the eyes when you tell them “We’re going to fix this”
• watching how a team works, moves, and communicates in real life
• being someone they can tap on the shoulder, even briefly, to unblock something

These moments don’t happen on Zoom.

They happen in hallways, during coffee breaks, when someone stays after a meeting because they “just need two minutes.”

Travel makes you tangible.

Tangible leaders create momentum.

But Being There Constantly? That’s Not Leadership — That’s Interims Work

And this distinction matters.

A fractional executive is not an interim manager.

You’re not there to replace someone temporarily.

You’re there to accelerate what the team already wants to achieve.

That means:

• You’re present with purpose
• You work in short bursts of intensity
• You unblock, align, decide, and enable
• And you leave room for the team to own the execution

If you sit in the office every day, you lose that sharpness.

Your value becomes diluted into daily operations, which is exactly what you’re not hired for.

Fractional work is about structured presence — not constant presence.

The Sweet Spot: 1–3 Days a Week

The ideal setup (and the one I prefer) is structured time with the team:

• One day a week
• Or two
• Or a full “focus week” every two weeks

Enough to create energy.

Enough to make decisions together.

Enough to maintain momentum.

But also enough space for the team to actually execute without you breathing down their neck.

This rhythm keeps expectations clear:

When we’re together → decisions get made.

When I’m gone → execution happens.

It creates a cadence.

A drumbeat.

A reliable pulse the team can operate with.

And that predictability is what makes fractional work effective.

Too Little Time = No Tangibility

If you’re never there physically, something gets lost.

Trust develops slower.

Information flows thinner.

People lean back instead of stepping in.

The team starts treating you like a consultant instead of a leader.

And as fractional executives, we’re not hired to give opinions — we’re hired to move organizations forward.

You can’t do that if you’re always a calendar link and never a real presence.

Too Much Time = No Momentum

On the flip side, if you’re there all the time:

• You lose objectivity
• You get dragged into daily operations
• Your “impact bursts” become watered down
• You turn into a de facto interim employee
• The team stops seeing you as the accelerator

And most importantly:

You lose the freshness and intensity that makes fractional work special.

Your clarity comes from stepping out, seeing the bigger picture, and coming in again with new energy. That rhythm keeps you sharp.

My Own Approach

This is why I prefer being onsite for one or two concentrated days each week (or every other week), depending on the project.

I come in with energy.

I work with people directly.

We clear bottlenecks.

We align priorities.

We prepare for key decisions or board meetings.

We solve the big things that have been stuck.

And then I step out.

The team needs the space to execute.

Management needs the confidence that things are moving.

And I need the distance to stay objective, clear, and focused on what matters next.

That’s the balance.

That’s the role.

That’s fractional leadership.

Go in, fix it, unblock it, accelerate it —

then step away so the team can run.

Come back. Re-align. Push forward. Repeat.

It’s a rhythm.

A cycle of momentum.

And when you get it right, entire organizations move faster than they ever thought possible.