More and more, there is a call for collaboration and partnership across ecosystems of care. Yet while everyone agrees on why collaboration matters, we do not talk enough about how we collaborate and how those ways need to evolve.

Traditionally, many communities were built around a single anchor institution, often a large health system, because it had the most resources, the deepest pockets, and the greatest influence. Everything else revolved around that center of gravity. Programs, initiatives, and partnerships were typically designed to orbit around the anchor’s priorities.

It worked for a time, but the model has limits. To explain, let’s borrow an analogy from basketball.

The old game: Play through the center

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, professional basketball revolved around one dominant figure, the center. Offenses were built on the principle that you threw the ball down low to your tallest player, the one closest to the basket. They would either score themselves or draw a double team and pass to an open teammate. Coaches preached that every good possession started by “feeding the big man,” the team’s anchor.

That approach produced results until the game evolved.

The new game: Everyone can create

Today’s basketball looks very different. Teams prioritize versatility. Players who stand 6’7” or 6’8” can handle the ball, shoot from long range, and defend multiple positions. Even centers now dribble, shoot three-pointers, and move fluidly around the court. The modern offense is free-flowing, and the goal is simply to create the best possible shot, no matter who takes it.

That evolution reflects how partnerships must evolve too.

The days of a single anchor institution holding all the power, deciding who gets the ball, and distributing resources as it sees fit are behind us. Today’s challenges, from health equity to housing insecurity, demand distributed leadership. We need ecosystems where every organization, large or small, feels empowered to generate ideas, lead solutions, and adapt to changing needs in real time.

Rethinking what team play means

Collaboration today should look less like a pyramid and more like a basketball court, fluid and constantly adjusting. Some days, your organization will be the one taking the shot. Other times, you might set the screen, make the pass, or simply create space for someone else to score. The point is not who gets credit; it is that the team wins.

That mindset can be uncomfortable, especially when funding is competitive and organizational preservation kicks in. But genuine partnership means sharing leadership, embracing interdependence, and trusting that empowering others ultimately strengthens the whole ecosystem.

The takeaway

Partnership in this new era is not about who holds the ball the longest. It is about how well we move it. The communities that thrive will be those where every player, from grassroots groups to large institutions, can read the floor, trust their teammates, and take the best shot available.

The game has changed. It is time our partnerships did too.