Connect with oneself to transform the environment. This was one of the main lessons learned by six members of NOS Sustainable Northwest were taken after participating in the Ecosystemic Leadership Program LATAM 2025organized by U-Schoola learning platform based on the Theory Udeveloped by the MIT professor, Otto Scharmerand his research team.

For five days in QuerétaroMexico, leaders and agents of change from all over the world. Latin America immersed themselves in an intensive process of personal transformation, collective connection e social innovation. The program integrated contemporary and ancestral knowledge, intertwining theory with experience, and thought with feeling.

Connecting with ourselves

"We need to align or connect with what we do. We need to first connect with ourselves and then from there we can connect with nature, with people, with everything around us," shared Azaira Méndez Méndez, NOS administrator.

For her, this experience marked a before and after, not only professionally, but also in the human aspect, considering that this type of program removes taboos and helps you to open your mind, heart and will.

Azaira reflected that one of the major contributions of the program was to change the logic from which social projects are planned.

"It is not planning based on problems, but rather we have to look beyond them in order to have various scenarios and options to move forward. To be able to apply our knowledge, we would have to analyze the contexts and from there open up the scenarios of possibilities in order to have a vision," he said.

Listening, honoring and walking together

For its part, Hubert Méndez CamachoThe organization's project coordinator, highlighted the value of reconnecting with roots and traditional wisdom.

"Something that moved me a lot was the theme of rituals, not losing the culture, the tradition of the people, the roots of where we come from," he said.

For him, one of the most powerful lessons learned was that of deep listening, something he feels the need to start applying in his daily work.

"The workshop dealt a lot with listening, that deep listening and how to put yourself on the person's side, to see the person from the other point, to see what he/she is transmitting or what he/she wants to tell you. I really need that, especially to support my organization and the leaders of the same organization, to complement each other and support them together," she shared.

Méndez Camacho emphasized that after the learning and experience gained in the Ecosystem Leadership ProgramThe NOS team has already begun to share their experiences with their colleagues, seeking to sow the seeds of change in their community.

"I feel that this is going to be a boost for the community. I think we can go walking together with the community and our organization to do this kind of activities, that sometimes the stress catches us, but if we have this learning, I feel that it will help us and contribute a lot," he said.

What is Theory U?

The Theory Udeveloped by Professor Otto Scharmer proposes that transforming systems requires a profound shift in individual and collective consciousness. This methodology, which combines social innovation practices with generative listening and collaborative action, is at the heart of the MIT's U-School.

The Ecosystem Leadership Program is divided into three modules:

• Personal transformation. This first module was an experiential journey of learning and openness to inner change, conceived as the basis for activating systemic transformations from consciousness. It focused on the development of personal leadership, cultivating the inner condition of each participant, strengthening the bonds between them and building the necessary confidence to act in the face of the challenges of the current context.
• Systemic Application. The second module had the purpose of "learning by doing", encouraging participants to generate collective impact in their areas of work, projects and specific contexts. Throughout this stage, they applied the knowledge acquired to their professional practice, converting emerging ideas into concrete actions through prototypes. They also expanded and strengthened their regional networks and opportunities for peer-to-peer collaboration.
• Ecosystem Impact. In the last module, participants consolidated their prototypes and projects, orienting them towards both regional and global impact. They deepened their understanding of leadership and ecosystemic transformation, applying it to their particular contexts. They also took an active role in the co-creation of intergenerational learning spaces, generating shared knowledge and enriching their proposals with the collective intelligence of the group.