Hiring C-suite contractors can boost business productivity

By Tonika Bruce, CEO of Lead Nicely. She helps startups, nonprofits, and executives win with unique and innovative marketing and business strategies.

From the evolution of operational thinking to entrepreneurial-focused strategies, here's why prioritizing contractor hires at the highest levels of the organization could be a game-changer.

In the business world, C-suite is a term used to describe senior executives who are considered the most powerful and influential within an organization. Therefore, they are at the head of decision-making and strategizing.

However, designations and titles vary by organization and industry. A healthcare company may need a medical director, while a product development company may need an innovation director. Today, we continue to see C-Suite titles evolve to meet changing market demands.

One of them is the evolution of the CIO from an IT operator to a business strategist. Jessica Tan exemplifies this transition during her tenure at Ping An, where she was appointed to drive innovation from a financial conglomerate to a technology company. Tan, who joined the company as CIO, was later appointed to break new ground as co-CEO and executive director.

Tan became the chief entrepreneur of Ping An, developing a strong portfolio, including one of the most successful healthcare platforms, Good Doctor.

Ping An Founder and Chairman Peter Ma was not just looking for a C-suite employee, but an entrepreneur. He saw the need for innovation in the organization if the business was to survive digital disruption. In this case, Jessica Tan was the perfect candidate, having been a partner at McKinsey, where she worked for more than 10 years.

Why Hiring a Chief Contractor Will Elevate the Business

Following a traditional structure in which heads of innovation or R&D report to a vice president is not enough for companies seeking reinvention and innovation. Hiring a C-Suite level entrepreneur can provide a needed dose of entrepreneurial leadership. Here are the reasons.

They thrive on uncertainty.

Generally, entrepreneurial leaders excel at creative thinking, but so do non-entrepreneurial leaders. The distinguishing factor is creativity in the face of uncertainty, often driven by unexplored possibilities. Jessica Tan came into the role with a vision of what a finance and insurance company could be in the face of digital transformation. Then he went ahead to bring it to life from a blank page.

Like Tan, business leaders seem to thrive where there's an unexplored market, a product waiting to be launched, or where there's potential but no roadmap. They are incubators that give them the space to innovate.

They possess an ownership mentality.

The concept of entrepreneurship goes hand in hand with ownership and responsibility. In a