Cross-Agency Collaboration Builds Leadership Capacity for a Complex World
New Wisdom Works report reveals how leaders sustain effectiveness, clarity, and results under pressure
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – January 12, 2026: As organizations face mounting complexity, uncertainty, and pressure to deliver results with limited resources, a new report from Wisdom Works Group points to a different way forward: building leadership capacity and organizational momentum through collaboration—while staying grounded in real, strategic work.
The newly released Wisdom Works Collaborative 2025 Report documents the outcomes of an inaugural cross-agency initiative that brought together nonprofit organizations to strengthen leadership capacity, deepen collaboration, and address current organizational challenges. Rather than treating leadership development as separate from day-to-day demands, the Collaborative integrated strategic reflection, peer learning, and leadership insight directly into active decision-making and problem solving across the organizations.
The five-month Collaborative engaged executive leaders from three Colorado nonprofits who worked together to grow their personal leadership capacity, enhance the dynamics of their leadership teams, and navigate strategic priorities within their organizations. By learning alongside peers while focusing on challenges, participants strengthened their ability to respond to uncertainty with greater clarity, responsibility, and creativity.
At the center of the approach is Wisdom Works’ Me–We–Work framework, a systems-based model that recognizes that sustainable organizational impact emerges when personal thriving (“Me”), relational trust and shared accountability (“We”), and meaningful work (“Work”) are developed together. The report illustrates how strengthening these interconnected capacities helped leaders move beyond reactive patterns and cultivate more adaptive, generative responses.
“What we saw in the Collaborative was a powerful shift,” said Renee Moorefield, CEO of Wisdom Works Group. “When leaders are given the space and structure to resource themselves, learn with executive colleagues, and apply that insight to real challenges, they expand their capacity to lead through uncertainty with clarity and purpose. That’s when meaningful work gets done.”
According to the report, the executive teams engaged in scenario planning based on the changing political and funding landscape affecting nonprofits across the country, strengthened their internal leadership models, and identified new opportunities for cross-agency collaboration. Several organizations began implementing concrete changes during the Collaborative itself, including evolving their governance and leadership structures, expanding their organizational identity and community presence, and aligning their programs to better meet emerging needs.
Leaders also reported that working alongside peers from other organizations reduced their sense of isolation, plus accelerated their learning. Cross-agency sessions created a trusted forum for testing ideas, sharing strategies, and translating insight into action—demonstrating how collaboration, rather than competition, can expand what is possible for all organizations navigating complex social challenges.
The Wisdom Works Collaborative 2025 Report offers a timely case study for leaders across sectors who are rethinking traditional approaches to leadership development and organizational change. It provides evidence that investing in leadership capacity and collaboration—while staying grounded in real work—can generate meaningful human and organizational returns.
Download the full report: https://www.wisdom-works.com/collaborative-report-2025/
About Wisdom Works Group
Wisdom Works Group transforms leadership by turning the science of thriving into actionable strategy. Trusted by global brands such as Mars, The Coca-Cola Company, Nike, and Hermès of Paris, for close to three decades the social enterprise has helped organizations make thriving a key leadership differentiator. The company’s pioneering Be Well Lead Well® platform equips leaders with data-driven insights and practical tools to drive sustainable performance and organizational effectiveness. Backed by rigorous research and a global practitioner network, Wisdom Works cultivates cultures where both human potential and performance thrive—shaping the future of high-performing, people-centered organizations. For Press Assets, including company logos, click here.
