Let’s be real—Black women have always done the most with the least. We’ve mastered leading teams without the titles, delivering excellence with half the resources, and building multi-hyphenate careers long before LinkedIn caught on. But now, in the age of career pivots and boundary-setting, a new path is emerging that aligns with our values and our value: fractional leadership.
So what exactly is it? Fractional leadership is when seasoned professionals take on executive-level roles—think Chief Marketing Officer, Head of Operations, or Strategy Director—on a part-time or contract basis across multiple companies. Rather than committing to one full-time employer, fractional leaders lend their expertise to several organizations at once, often remotely and on their own terms.
And for Black women, it might just be the career power move we’ve been waiting for.
Why It Works for Us
“Why the fractional route? It really is a wonderful go-between between doing something full-time for somebody and being a solopreneur,” says Elizabeth Pearson, an executive career coach that helps clients amplify their professional paths. “You really get a taste of this freedom when you can do fractional work. It does help you if you’re somebody who gets bored easily as well.”
She points out that fractional leadership is well-suited for women with undiagnosed ADHD, which touches many Black women. According to data from Psychiatry.org, white individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, while Black individuals are more likely to be deemed as having a conduct disorder. ADHD diagnosis in Black patients often occurs in childhood, while White patients frequently receive diagnoses in adulthood. Black females are the least likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.
“If these women struggle at work and don’t know why they can’t focus on anything because they don’t have diversity on what they’re focusing on, fractional leadership offers them the variety they’re looking for.”
Pearson said that many of her clients, namely Black women, grew tired of glass cliffs and microaggressions in traditional leadership spaces. “They are leading and striving, but not all of them get the credit they deserve,” she tells ESSENCE.
This model also allows women to command executive pay without the burnout of being “the only one” in the room every day. Many fractional leaders work 20–30 hours a week per client and maintain two or three clients at a time, earning six-figure incomes while designing careers that align with their lives—not the other way around.
Reclaiming Our Time—and Talents
The rise of fractional leadership coincides with a larger shift in how Black women are redefining success. For years, we’ve been told that the only way to level up is to work twice as hard for half as much. But more of us are questioning those rules and writing new ones.
“You can define your scope of work before making any committed agreement with an employer,” Pearson explains. “So you can say, ‘Listen, it’s three days a week. I have 20 hours for this project.’ And the thing is, they can’t really ask you what you’re doing with the rest of that time. They can’t ask who else you’re working with, who else you’re working for, unless it’s maybe in a competitive space, but they usually don’t ask that. And what’s wonderful is you can define all the terms.”
She continues, saying that she sees more fractional roles coming due to a shaky economy.
“You could go to a smaller company that can’t afford, say, a full-time CFO, and you can go in there, even if you’ve never been a CFO before.”
Pearson says she’s seen a steady rise in her Black women clients exploring fractional roles, especially after being laid off, pushed out, or passed over in traditional work environments.
Getting Started
If you’re a mid-to-senior level professional with 10+ years of experience, chances are, you’re already qualified. The key is to position yourself as a strategic partner, not just a doer.
Start by clarifying your niche: Are you the person who fixes broken systems? Builds teams from scratch? Turns around brands? Get clear on your value prop.
Building a consultancy-ready brand: Your LinkedIn and resume should speak to results, leadership, and the ability to plug into new environments quickly.
“One of the best ways to attract clients is to utilize LinkedIn as a showcasing platform for your skills,” Pearson says.
Also, tapping into platforms like The Forem, Chief, and The 10th House are increasingly spotlighting fractional opportunities. So are niche recruiting firms looking for diverse executive talent.
The Bigger Picture
Fractional leadership isn’t just a career pivot—it’s a power play. It’s proof that we don’t have to wait for seats at the table. We can build our own tables, bring our expertise, and charge accordingly.
In a world where Black women are still underrepresented in the C-suite and overrepresented in burnout stats, fractional leadership offers something we deserve: options.
“Black women have always led. Now we get to choose how, where, and on what terms,” Pearson says. “And that’s revolutionary.”
