In the heart of the Amazon—stretching across Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, and Bolivia—a quiet revolution is taking place. Far from boardrooms and skyscrapers, leaders are rising from riverbanks, jungle villages, and remote communities. These are not leaders forged in MBA programs or trained in corporate strategy. They are artisans of resilience, entrepreneurs of biodiversity, and guardians of the forest.
Through @CercoVerde (https://cercoverde.com), a pioneering organization working at the intersection of sustainability and economic vitality, these local business leaders are proving that leadership can grow from scarcity just as richly as it does from abundance. Focused on promoting biodiversity-based ventures, Cerco Verde recognizes that true ecological transformation begins with empowering those who live closest to the forest and depend on its health for their livelihoods.
Over the past three months, we, from the International Coaching Alliance (ICCA), had the privilege to design and deliver a leadership development journey in partnership with Cerco Verde for a group of small business leaders from across the Amazon Forest. These individuals lead cooperatives, small businesses, tribe businesses, and community initiatives rooted in sustainability. They create income opportunities for their families and neighbors by transforming forest knowledge into crafts, oils, foods, and medicine—without exploiting the land that sustains them.
Many of these leaders had never received formal leadership training. Yet, they carried an immense sense of responsibility, often working in isolation, with poor internet access and scarce public support. What they lacked in material resources, they made up for with creativity, courage, and commitment to community.
Through coaching and workshops, we explored themes like team building, delegation, vision-setting, strategic planning, marketing strategies, wellbeing, and partnership development. The outcomes were visible: stronger collaboration among leaders, bold new strategies for growth, and renewed clarity on how to nurture their communities while protecting their ecosystem.
But perhaps the most profound transformation was the emergence of a peer support network—leaders no longer feeling alone in the jungle of daily challenges. They now stand stronger, not just for themselves, but for each other, their families, and the forest that gives them life.
This is what leadership looks like in the Amazon Forest: rooted, relational, resilient. It’s not about power or prestige. It’s about protection, perseverance, and planting seeds of hope where the world most needs them to grow.
I’m proud of making a difference!
@Katya Talavera, @Katherina Capra, @Claudia Flores, @International Coaching Consulting Alliance, @Cerco Verde
