ICF Thought Leadership Institute’s New Focus: Empowering the Future of Coaching
Alicia Hullinger, Ph. D., Executive Director/VP, shares how the ICF Thought Leadership Institute is transforming its role to serve as ICF’s futurist function. With a focus on futures thinking, coaches will have access to insights and tools needed to navigate the evolving coaching landscape.
This Moment is Calling for Transformation
The coaching profession is evolving, and the ICF Thought Leadership Institute is stepping up to meet the moment. After months of reflection and planning, the ICF Thought Leadership Institute is now the futurist function for ICF, dedicated to equipping the coaching community with strategic foresight to navigate a changing world.
This new focus centers on futures thinking—an approach to identifying opportunities, preparing for challenges, and driving innovation. Here is how this transformation benefits you:
The ICF Annual Futures Report: Your Strategic Advantage
At the heart of our new focus is the ICF Annual Futures Report, launching in January 2026. This flagship report will explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping coaching.
Rather than predicting the future, the report equips you to prepare for it by analyzing drivers of change, emerging opportunities, and potential challenges.
What you can expect:
- Insights into global trends impacting coaching
- Practical guidance to adapt your practice
- A forward-looking perspective to inspire innovation
This report will not just inform—it will empower you to act with confidence in a rapidly evolving world.
What’s Your Hunch? A New Way to Shape the Future
You notice things, whether it’s small shifts in client behaviors, new technologies, or changing industry dynamics. These subtle observations, or hunches, can reveal key insights into what is next for coaching.
With our new “What’s Your Hunch?” program, we invite you to share these sparks of insight. By contributing, you will help build a collective understanding of the future of coaching.
How it works:
- Observe: What changes are you noticing in coaching?
- Reflect: How might these shifts shape the future?
- Share: Submit your hunch to our gallery.
Explore what others are seeing, spark your imagination, and contribute to the conversation about what is emerging. Submit your hunch today.
Building Futures Literacy
Futures thinking is a skill every coach can apply. Our Futures Literacy Campaign provides you with tools to navigate change and make confident decisions about the future.
You will find tools and guides to explore key concepts such as:
- Signals of Change: Spot early indicators of emerging trends.
- Drivers of Change: Understand forces shaping the industry.
- Scenario Planning: Imagine and prepare for multiple possible futures.
These resources will help you approach your work with a proactive and future-ready mindset.
Ongoing Futures Insights
Staying future-ready requires continuous learning. To complement the Annual Futures Report, we will share quarterly, snackable futures insights. These bite-sized articles will focus on emerging trends, practical foresight, and actionable strategies, helping you stay informed throughout the year.
Our goal is to make futures thinking accessible and relevant, so you can integrate it into your practice without missing a beat.
We Are Here to Support You
We are excited to embark on this journey with you! From quarterly snackable insights to the Annual Futures Report, and through programs like “What’s Your Hunch,” we are here to ensure you are ready for what comes next.
Stay connected by signing up for our quarterly newsletter or visit Our Purpose to learn how the ICF Thought Leadership Institute is shaping the future of coaching. Together, we can create what is next in coaching!
Stay inspired!
Alicia Hullinger, Ph.D
27 January 2025
