In this candid letter, KWI CEO Leah Gladu looks back on a year marked by challenge and change, sharing how resilience and tenacity guided the work and what clients can expect from KWI in 2026.
As we close out 2025, I want to share something I don’t think leaders say out loud often enough: this year was a hard one.
While some years are about acceleration, this year was about endurance. It was a year where change and challenge were around every corner. None of it was entirely unexpected. Agency life comes with natural ebbs and flows and navigating them is part of the work. In fact, it confirmed something we’ve always known; change is inevitable. We’ve come through it before, and we’ll do it again.
Most notably, it reminded me that resilience, while essential, isn’t always enough to keep moving forward. Resilience helps us recover. Tenacity keeps us going. And this year at KWI, we needed both. Not the glossy, inspirational kind, but the kind that shows up on days when people and timelines shift unexpectedly, when teams feel the weight of uncertainty and when the right path forward is emerging but not yet fully clear.
At KWI, we help our clients navigate change every day. This year, as organizations faced shifting market conditions, evolving expectations from leaders and employees and the rapid rise of AI, our team stayed grounded and focused on what we do best: delivering guidance and clarity when it matters most.
Behind the scenes, we helped leadership teams break down silos, align more effectively and communicate across peer groups in new ways. This strategic work, grounded in insights and empathy, enabled many complex organizational changes to be successful.
We also continued to support many organizations navigating the uncertainty around new technologies like AI, helping clients integrate it thoughtfully while still understanding the importance of communicating with clarity and heart. As these tools continue to evolve, one truth remains unchanged: technology can make work more efficient, but it doesn’t replace people, empathy or leadership.
This year also reaffirmed something I’ve always believed: you are only as good as your team, and at KWI, our greatest strength lies in our people.
The depth and lived experience our people bring to the table, especially in challenging moments, sets our work apart. You can’t coach someone through a high-stakes moment with theory alone. You need people who have lived, led, stumbled and grown in their expertise. Our team brings an irreplaceable level of wisdom to our work and continues to show up for clients (and for one another) with steadiness, skill and heart. I couldn’t be more proud to work alongside them.
This year also taught us a lot about who we are and where we are headed as a company. It showed us where we add the most value and how we can continue to deepen our impact. Our work matters because we are passionate about uncovering tailored solutions, backed by measurable insights and expertise, that create lasting results – and that won’t change.
As we look toward 2026, here are some things you can expect from our team:
- A deeper focus on guiding clients through real, complex change
- More honesty about the challenges leaders face and how we can help
- Tools and support that meet the moment, not the past
- Impact over scale, focused on bringing meaningful impact to the right work with the right people
I’m proud of what we accomplished this year, not because it was easy but because it showed us, once again, what we’re capable of, and I’m excited for what’s ahead. If resilience is how we withstand disruption, tenacity is how we advance our mission. Both mattered this year. Both will matter even more in 2026.
Thank you to our clients, partners and team members for your trust and your collaboration. Here’s to the continuation of meaningful work and progress — together in 2026.
— Leah Gladu
CEO, KWI
