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Shaping the Future of Coaching, Together

Welcome to the Center for the Future of Coaching at the ICF Thought Leadership Institute—your futurist resource for navigating the next era of coaching.

COMING JANUARY 2026

The ICF Annual Futures Report

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The Future of Coaching in Organizations

October 2025

Envision a future where coaching is integrated into both the culture and structure of organizations. How might coaching transform organizational potential?

I wonder if

as leaders and coaches, we need to shift coaching as a strategic driver. It’s not just about performance metrics or hitting targets—it’s about the people behind them. When coaching prioritizes wellbeing, clarity, and purpose—it strengthens results. A business can’t outperform the health of its people. Sustainable success will belong to the organizations that understand developing humans is the smartest business strategy there is. The future hinges on finance not treating coaching like a “perk”.

Denise RussoUnited States
I have a feeling that

the future of coaching will call us back to deep, soulful human connection — the only force that truly moves us as social beings. We’re drifting away, chasing things, titles, and status symbols, becoming emptier inside, and as we lose connection with ourselves, we also lose depth in how we treat others. In business, this shows up as serious talent, retention, and engagement challenges. Coaching must restore dignity, ethics, and authentic human warmth everywhere.

Naila SelimovićSlovenia
I have a feeling that

coaches are more and more comfortable with AI and are in using AI to enrich coaching engagements.

Yene AssegidBelgium
I have a feeling that

Mental health awareness and support both are increasing rapidly. However, mental health specialities are not as discreetly established as those of physical health.
Boundaries between therapy and coaching are often faded by clients as well as coaches. Since, coaching does not have practice specific educational, licensing or certicational requirements, it risks the speciality of the practice.
I feel coaching industry will benefit from regulations.

Reva BankaUnited States
I have a feeling that

the coaching profession will be the number one human services intervention that people and institutions seek relative to varied personal and professional challenges. As the profession continues to develop and evolve, the evidence, results, and effectiveness of coaching set a renewed precedent about the industry. Making coaching a viable human services intervention option.

DEX Life Coaching ServicesTrinidad & Tobago

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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Learn about futures thinking and how to apply it to coaching

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Explore emerging trends and tools shaping the future of coaching

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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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Discover free articles featuring key insights on the future of coaching and its impact in the realms of well-being, work, education, and planetary ecology from worldwide thought leaders.

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