01
Begin with the shift the role must create
Position descriptions tend to accumulate responsibilities. Search briefs need to do something different. They should make clear what must change because this person has been appointed.
That means naming the few outcomes that matter most, the decisions the leader will own and the tensions they will need to manage. It also means being candid about what is not yet working.
02
Separate requirements from familiar patterns
Boards and hiring teams often use prior titles, sector history or company scale as shortcuts for capability. Some of those signals matter. None should substitute for evidence of the work itself.
A sharper brief distinguishes true constraints from preferences. This opens the search to adjacent candidates who may have stronger evidence, while keeping the assessment standard precise.
03
Turn the brief into a decision tool
The success profile should be useful long after the first market map. It should guide assessment, references, stakeholder calibration and the final comparison between candidates.
When the criteria stay stable, the conversation becomes clearer. The question moves from who feels familiar to who has the strongest evidence for the work ahead.