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2026 ICF Coaching Futures Report

Envisioning Coaching's Next Horizon

This report does not predict a single future. Instead, it explores multiple scenarios shaping access to coaching worldwide. Grounded in global insights, foresight methods, and creative storytelling, we invite you to imagine what coaching could become and how today’s actions influence what comes next.

The future is not fixed. Help shape it.

I am noticing that

organizations are view coaching not as an exclusive, high-investment intervention for senior leaders, but as a democratised capability embedded across levels. More companies are experimenting with team coaching circles, internal coach certifications, and leader-as-coach models. The next frontier seems to be the emergence of coaching culture-where conversations become more reflective, feedback becomes more generative, and leadership is expressed through curiosity rather than command.

Kenneth WheelerIndia
I am curious about

organizations understanding the actual nuance between coaching and mentoring according to the specific requirement for their leaders and teams. Also, if they look at this intervention more as a tick mark on their list or something that makes revisiting happen with more than one intervention. The define phase is crucial as to what exactly do they seek out of these sessions/ workshops.

Dr. Ankoor DasguuptaIndia
I am noticing that

leaders are not primarily asking for better strategies. They are asking for clarity in confusion. The pace of change is relentless, but what exhausts them most is not workload. It is meaning overload. Constant decisions. Constant noise. Constant uncertainty.

Hunch:
The future of coaching will shift from performance acceleration to sense-making. Coaches will increasingly serve as thinking partners who help leaders slow down, interpret complexity, and act with intentions.

Rajneesh SharmaIndia
I have a feeling that

mentoring and supervision for human coaches will still be viable at least in the next 5 years but I am concerned if these 2 aspects of reflective work of a coach will also be replaced by AI. In the mentoring space, I note that the use of tools such as Raenotes can pick up coaching competencies in an audio recording with about 60% accuracy. ChatGPT, Claude, etc. can engage in intellectual discussions on issues faced by a coach and provide almost similar support as a human mentor and supervisor.

Jenny TohSingapore
I am curious about

I am curious about how coaching, empowered by emerging technologies, can foster a new digital democracy — one that respects minorities, enables more direct participation, and supports more distributed decision-making.

Akihiko MoritaJapan

What’s your hunch about the future of coaching?

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How to get the most out of our website:

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Ecosystem-centered Coaching: Futures Thinking for Real-World Impact

In this 4-part series, discover how futures thinking can empower you to navigate the evolving role of coaching within interconnected ecosystems. Through our four-phase framework—Observe, Envision, Anticipate, Act— you will learn how to prepare for the future of ecosystem-centered practices, integrate AI and new technologies, and embrace ethical, holistic approaches that create real-world impact for you, your clients, and your communities.

Apply the futures thinking loop to coaching

Futures Thinking fosters a mindset that embraces change, encourages innovation, and empowers action toward desired futures.

Apply the futures thinking loop to coaching

Futures Thinking fosters a mindset that embraces change, encourages innovation, and empowers action toward desired futures.

Top Articles

Dive into this month’s top trending articles on the future of coaching

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