The Gig Economy Has Reached the Corner Office

by | Jul 30, 2025

The Gig Economy Has Reached the Corner Office

A third of new CEO appointments this year are interim or short-term. That is not a blip—it’s a shift.

The gig economy has reached the C-suite. Boards are no longer hiring one leader to guide a company through crisis, recovery, and growth. They are hiring for stages. One CEO to make the cuts. Another to rebuild morale. It mirrors the rise of fractional roles across the org chart—but when it happens at the top, the culture implications run deeper.

This model can work. The “Cleaner” CEO lays the foundation. The “Fresh Slate” rebuilds trust. But the risks are real. Leaders get boxed into one identity. Employees lose clarity on what the company stands for. And boards, under pressure, often default to the past—recycling former CEOs in hopes of stability, even when the data shows it rarely leads to transformation.

This isn’t a breakdown in leadership. It’s a new playbook. One that demands more clarity, more purpose, and a better understanding of how leadership and culture move together. If culture drives results, then every handoff matters.

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