Connecting, Learning and Leading Together: Reflections from Rome

Connecting, Learning and Leading Together: Reflections from Rome

From 20–22 September, Guy Buckingham and I had the privilege of representing ICF UK Chapter at the annual ICF European and African Chapter Leader Forum. This annual forum brings together chapter leaders from across 15+ ICF chapters of all size: Malawi has just been launched and the UK, celebrating its 30 years anniversary, was the longest established.

This year, the forum was hosted in Rome, in the picturesque Prati neighbourhood near the Vatican City. The forum was a valuable opportunity for Guy and I to connect with Presidents and Vice-Presidents of other ICF Chapters, share Chapter leadership experiences and reflect on how to grow and strengthen the many ICF communities we represented.

What struck Guy and I most was the shared commitment that unites us, regardless of our geography or the size of our chapters: a belief in the power of professional coaching to make a meaningful difference to individuals, organisations and society.

The conversations were rich with ideas, challenges and practical insights. We explored how we can better engage our members, demonstrate the value of coaching, support the development of our profession and build stronger, more connected coaching communities. While each chapter has its own context and priorities, there was much we could learn from one another: how to grow membership; how to use AI to simplify administration delivery; how to engage volunteers to the Chapter and create meaningful succession plans. Hearing different perspectives reminded me that collaboration is not simply about sharing best practice; it is about being curious, challenging our assumptions and finding new possibilities together.

The forum also reinforced the importance of leadership as a shared responsibility. As Chapter leaders, we are not just organising activities or delivering services. Rather, we are creating the conditions in which our members can thrive, feel connected and contribute to the future of coaching.

Guy and I returned from Rome energised by the generosity, openness and ambition of our fellow Chapter leaders, and with fresh perspectives to bring back to ICF UK.

The conversations in Rome reminded Guy and I  that our strength lies not only in what we do as individual local Chapters, but in what we can achieve together as connected Chapters. 

Article by Laure Fravel and Guy Buckingham, Co-presidents of the ICF UK Chapter