An industry analysis of interim leadership in higher education shows that presidents hired on a temporary basis are increasingly expected to enact substantive change rather than simply maintain the status quo. Search firms and interim executives say turnover, financial stress, and rapid strategic shifts have transformed short‑term roles into mission‑critical interventions. Executives described interim leaders as “strategic surgeons” who must diagnose complex fiscal problems, reorganize programs, launch revenue initiatives and manage political optics in compressed timelines. The piece also noted the rise of fractional leadership models and a shortened presidential tenure landscape that has left many campuses unprepared for succession. Governance experts recommended trustees build succession pipelines, clarify authority and objectives for interim appointments, and match candidate skill sets to the urgent operational priorities institutional leaders face today.