Written by 
The Fractional Leader’s Playbook – Kellie Hinkle
Genre: Business, Productivity, Nonfiction
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: 2025
Format read: Electronic (PDF)
Source of book: This book was provided in exchange for a paid, honest review.
My Thoughts
Have you ever seen, or even considered, the idea of an executive NOT working 50+ hour weeks? To be honest, I didn’t know how possible such a concept would even be, until this book set me straight. Be prepared to learn a new paradigm in this crash course. And when you’re done, you’ll likely question the status quo of executive corporate leadership.
The audience for this book is for highly-skilled professionals with an existing background in leadership roles looking for a more flexible and self-directed approach to their career, through the innovative model of fractional leadership. What is fractional leadership? I quote, “A fractional leader is an experienced executive or subject matter expert who works with organizations on a part-time, time-bound, or project-based basis – often across multiple clients at once.”
Fractional leadership is definitely not for beginners, which Hinkle does make evident. But even without that, it is obvious to the reader that to execute this career model requires a high level of time management, personal responsibility and vision for your working life.
Content & Information
Fractional Leadership was an entirely new concept to me going in, so I can confirm that the content is easily understandable to an audience unfamiliar with the topic.
Going back to first principles, the book explains what fractional leadership is and its distinctive benefits. Once establishing that, it provides guidance and action items to get started. This includes the more visionary aspects of defining your role and value as a leader. But also, the nitty-gritty of how to market yourself to client organisations, manage your time and workload. and tone setting for your first day.
To steal an expression from Gary Vaynerchuk, I consider this book to be very “clouds and dirt” oriented. If you’re not familiar with this idea, Vaynerchuk uses this phrase to refer to the 2 essential components of life. First, the “clouds”, is your big-picture values and misson behind what you do. Second, the “dirt”, are the practical tasks involved and the actual work. I bring up this, because I consider Hinkle to be quite focused in both these areas (at least in concept – not specifically related to Vaynerchuk’s phrasing).
Hinkle stresses the why, and positions fractional leadership is a possible career move. It won’t fit all, but for those who are truly aligned in vision it will be a major tool. Fractional leadership is not about making the most money, but about achieving your highest potential. But she does not shy away from the business aspects either. This includes the basics of establishing your own independent enterprise as a fractional leader, and invoicing your clients.
Also addressed is the importance of establishing personal boundaries and maintaining a balance for your life. Hinkle acknowledges that fractional leaders can get burnt out quite easily if boundaries are not maintained. If you’re looking for another book that touches on balance, read one of my previous book reviews. So if you’re concerned about this being a “hustle culture”, work-to-the-bone work, you have nothing to fear here.
Writing
Hinkle’s writing is sharp, direct and easy to understand – which is what I would expect from an experienced executive that is used to delivering in shorter timeframes! It’s designed to get you started and clearly articulates action steps to start your fractional leadership journey.
The book is a short guide that is quick to breeze through on the first read, but it’s also clearly intended to be a reference work to return to multiple times. As you continue the process of becoming a fractional leader, you will need to refer back to Hinkle’s practical tips and takeaways to ensure you’ve covered all your bases. For this book’s audience, the quick and direct approach suits best.
For me personally, I almost with it was a bit longer, but that is a minor point. I will admit that this book inspired a lot of genuine curiosity about the experiences of a fractional leader. So, I will warn you that this book may result in an internet research rabbit-hole into this interesting category of work, as you may want to learn more about it after absorbing this book. If Hinkle were to release a follow-up depicting stories and case studies of fractional leadership success, I would love to read it. It would also help her audience see the tangible benefits of this approach, for the leaders and their client organisations.
TL;DR: The short & sharp guide to providing short & sharp leadership. If you’re a professional leader looking to provide more impact in your career, try this book.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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