When the Brief Doesn't Fit - leading with head AND heart

Recently, I’ve been trying to get the balance right between head work and heart work. It sounds simple, but in practice, it’s one of the hardest tensions to hold, especially when scoping new projects or stepping into complex, multi-stakeholder spaces. The head jumps straight into structure: timelines, deliverables, outputs, budgets. It’s the logical part that wants to make things efficient, measurable, and aligned to the brief. But the heart often interrupts: “Hang on... will this really deliver on the outcomes that are needed AND wanted?”That pause, the instinct to question, is where the real work begins.

When the Brief Makes Sense, But Misses the Mark

Many project briefs make sense on paper. They’re well-intentioned, carefully scoped, and built to meet specific accountability requirements. But sometimes, they don’t quite reflect what’s needed for real impact on the ground. That’s when the heart work begins, the space for courageous conversations. Reframing the brief, refocusing on the outcomes, and inviting others into a more co-designed approach. At CoLEAD, we say that leadership is a collective act. It’s not a title, it’s a relationship.  

In the words of Sir Ashely Bloomfield, “Leadership is an invitation for collective action". That means being willing to step beyond what’s asked for, and into what’s possible. Heart work doesn’t replace structure or process; it grounds them in purpose. It asks:

• What are we really trying to achieve here?

• Whose voices shaped this brief?

• What actions and outcomes will truly move us toward collective wellbeing and long-term impact?

Head Work Keeps Us Accountable.

Heart Work Keeps Us Honest.

In today’s economic climate, it’s tempting to default to efficiency, to deliver fast, meet the brief, and move on. We’re all stretched: funding is tight, capacity is limited, expectations are high. But the work that truly matters, the systems change kind, happens when we slow down enough to listen, question, and realign. The head helps us structure and make sense of complexity. The heart helps us stay connected to meaning and relationships. We need both. Without the head, heart work can drift into idealism. Without the heart, head work can lose its soul.

Leading Through Co-Design and Courage

At CoLEAD, we’ve seen that the best outcomes come when we don’t just respond to briefs, but we work together to shape them. That might mean:

• Creating space for whānau voice to guide priorities.

• Rethinking timelines so change happens at the speed of trust.

• Shifting from compliance-driven contracting to commissioning that’s relational, evidence-based, and locally led.

This is leadership through co-design, not waiting for permission, but inviting collaboration. It’s where systems change begins - at the intersection of courage and clarity.

Holding the Balance

I try to remember that using my skills well isn’t just about doing the work, it’s about shaping it, together.

With courage to question.

With connection to people and place.

With clarity of purpose.

Every time we pause to realign head and heart, we strengthen not only the work we do, but how we do it. That’s what collective leadership looks like in practice: the discipline to deliver, and the heart to ensure it matters.

At CoLEAD, we believe that the balance between head and heart is not a trade-off, it’s a tension to be held and honoured. Through partnership, co-design, and collective leadership, we help others find that same alignment, so every piece of work moves us closer to thriving people, thriving systems, thriving futures.