Weekend Boost No. 173
THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM IN LEADERSHIP
This week, I spent most of my time in rooms with leaders—
two different workshops, over 100 women total, gathered not to be the smartest person in the room, but to think and imagine together.
I’m struck by how hungry we are for this.
So much of modern leadership asks us to operate as solo actors—rewarding certainty, speed, and individual brilliance. But what I witnessed this week was different. The most meaningful insights didn’t come from any one voice. They emerged between voices, through relationship and shared sensemaking.
This is collective wisdom.
Not groupthink or easy consensus, but the intelligence that becomes possible when we are in real relationship—with ourselves, each other, and the purpose we’re in service of.
Collective wisdom asks leaders to design spaces for thinking together, to slow down, share power, and trust that wisdom is distributed—not concentrated.
This kind of leadership isn’t abstract. It’s necessary. Because the challenges we’re facing are too complex for any one of us to solve alone.
When we choose relationship over isolation, we don’t just feel less alone— we lead better.
Here are three ways to step into community right now:
If you’re local to the Durham / Chapel Hill area: The RISE Embodied Leadership Summit brings women together for a deeply experiential day of leadership, imagination, and embodied practice—designed to reconnect you to yourself and to others.
If you work in global digital health, anywhere in the world: GLOW (Global Women Leaders in Digital Health) is an inspiring, rapidly growing community of women leaders committed to connection, learning, and collective impact.
If you’re longing to go deeper into your own leadership growth: The next cohort of Leader Sphere launches next month—a guided, relational container for leaders ready to slow down, reflect, and grow alongside others.
THE PRACTICE
As you head into the weekend, I’ll leave you with a gentle question—one I’ve been holding myself:
Where might I loosen my grip on “doing it myself” and step more fully into relationship, trust, and shared wisdom?
May you rest.
May you stay curious.
And may you remember that leadership was never meant to be a solo act.
