Coaching Below the Surface -- An ICF Approved Coach Training Program


▶️ Are you looking to future-proof your coaching business through creating unforgettable, coaching experiences?


▶️ Are you passionate about shaping the future of coaching?


▶️ Do you find yourself questioning how well you are prepared to coach across differences?


▶️ Are you looking to learn how to thrive in a VUCA coaching world (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity)?

 

Coaching Below the Surface: An ICF-Approved Coach Training Program

As the world evolves, so does the practice of coaching. In today’s diverse society, coaching goes beyond technique—it’s about understanding and connecting with the full scope of who our clients are. Their identities, backgrounds, and challenges are more complex and intersecting than ever before. Consider how the workplace is changing:

  • Generation Z is making its mark. By mid-2024, Gen Z workers represent 18% of the U.S. labor force, surpassing Baby Boomers at 15%.
  • Women continue to break through leadership barriers. In 2023, women held 32.2% of senior leadership roles globally, and that number is climbing.
  • Disability is increasingly part of the workplace conversation. In 2022, over 28% of U.S. adults identified as having a disability, influencing how companies approach accessibility.
  • Workplace stress and uncertainty are at unprecedented levels. Approximately 65% of U.S. workers report that work is a significant source of stress, with stress contributing to an estimated 120,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Additionally, economic fluctuations and policy changes have intensified workplace uncertainty, affecting employee morale and productivity.

As coaching becomes more integral to workplaces, coaches need to adapt. Our clients now bring more diverse perspectives, struggles, and aspirations into our sessions. The intersectionality of their identities impacts how they lead, grow, and respond to challenges, making it critical for coaches to adopt a mindset of inclusivity, flexibility, and empathy.

This is no passing trend—it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact. By fostering an inclusive coaching approach, we build deeper, more meaningful relationships with our clients. We support their mental well-being, empower their leadership, and contribute to a more connected, equitable world.

Are you ready to meet the moment?

Join the Waitlist – Be the First to Know!

Excited about the future of coaching? Join the waitlist and gain exclusive early access to our upcoming ICF coach training program. Here’s what you’ll get when you sign up:

Early Access & Special Offers – Be the first to receive program details and exclusive discounts for early registrants.

Bonus Coaching Session – Early bird registrants will receive an extra coaching session, giving you even more personalized support as you embark on this journey.

Exclusive Community Event – Get an invitation to a special live event with LaTonya Wilkins and our expert faculty. This is your chance to experience firsthand what this program offers, ask questions, and connect with like-minded coaches.

Priority Enrollment – Secure your spot before we open registration to the public.

If you’re ready to level up your coaching and be part of a program that’s shaping the future of the industry, sign up now and stay in the loop!

Don’t miss out—join the waitlist today!

Program Description

This program is designed to equip coaches with the knowledge and tools to navigate the rapidly evolving coaching industry. Coaches will explore upcoming changes in the industry and learn how to adapt their practice accordingly. The program will delve into effective coaching techniques across diverse client backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of diversity, inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety, while also offering a comprehensive assessment to evaluate these elements within their current practice. Additionally, coaches will identify and address personal blindspots, culminating in the creation of a personalized action plan for ongoing development and enhanced coaching effectiveness across differences.

Who is this program for?

Experienced coaches who have already completed a foundational program including: coaches completing or renewing a credential, coaches who would like to venture outside of traditional coach training and learn how to improve coaching across differences, coaches who are or expect to be coaching across diverse backgrounds, and coaches who may have completed a foundational program and but are seeking to learn more about coaching different demographics of clients. This program is also a good fit for leaders who coach regularly as a part of their jobs.

Program Outcomes

  • Future-Proof Your Coaching Practice – Gain insights into emerging industry trends and develop strategies to adapt your coaching approach for long-term success.
  • Enhance Coaching Across Differences – Strengthen your ability to work effectively with diverse clients by integrating inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety into your practice.
  • Identify and Overcome Blind Spots – Uncover personal and professional biases that may impact coaching effectiveness and develop strategies for continuous improvement.
  • Drive Measurable Impact – Utilize a comprehensive assessment to evaluate and enhance your coaching effectiveness, creating a personalized action plan for growth and client success.

Format

  • In-person
  • Virtual

Program Schedule

Attend an in-person (or hybrid) 1.5 day synchronous learning kick-off in Chicago.

Attend 6 (1.5 hour) virtual training sessions.

Share an action plan with the instructors.

Attend coaching demos.

ICF CCEs

ICF CCEs are offered for this program and will be allocated to the following categories:
Core Competencies: 15

Resource Development: 6.5 (Personal Development, Business Development, or other Skills and tools)

Program Dates: This hybrid program will have limited enrollment and is expected to launch in June of 2025.

The full agenda will be released to everyone on the waitlist when registration opens.

Sign Up for Exclusive Early Access

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Learning Objectives

  • Understand how the coaching industry will change, how this will affect your practice, and how to
  • prepare for these pivotal changes
  • Learn techniques to coach effectively across differences, how concepts such as belonging and psychological safety align, and complete an assessment to gain awareness around the degree to which these environmental factors are present in your coaching practice
  • Gain awareness around personal coaching blindspots and how to address them
  • Create an action plan for your personal development and coaching practice

Change Coaches is a team of leadership development professionals who embody Below the Surface Leadership: REAL leadership, psychological safety, and empathetic leadership. We are similarly committed to changing workplace culture at its core while developing leaders and coaches for the future workplace

Discover More with the Leading Below the Surface Podcast

The Leading Below the Surface Podcast dives into leadership development, empathy, and psychological safety in today’s diverse and dynamic workplace. Inspired by LaTonya Wilkins’ acclaimed book, the podcast provides actionable insights for navigating cultural and generational differences, fostering authentic relationships, and embracing DEIB in real-world scenarios.

Hosted by LaTonya herself, this podcast offers a deeper look into the transformative topics she explores in her keynotes and workshops. Tune in to discover how her expertise can help your organization thrive.

Listen now and explore topics that resonate with your team.

Meet LaTonya

My most valuable skill, and the one thing I often teach others, is how to build real relationships across differences.

"I demonstrate what it means to lead below the surface through relatable stories from my career, my family, and through direct experience with other below the surface leaders. We can all lead below the surface and make real change in our organizations. A few small shifts can go a long way."
LaTonya-seated-with-Leading-Below-the-Surface

LaTonya Wilkins is the award-winning founder of Change Coaches and the best-selling author of Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You. She specializes in coaching executives to lead “below the surface” by fostering psychologically safe, authentic relationships across differences. A sought-after keynote speaker and executive coach, LaTonya has inspired global audiences and transformed leaders at renowned organizations such as Google, Target, The New York Times, and various nonprofits.

Global leaders turn to LaTonya and Change Coaches to address challenges such as preparing leaders for the future workplace, creating psychologically safe teams, strengthening connections across differences, advancing into leadership and executive roles, and coaching their teams to foster accountability and trust. Her practice spans industries including higher education, healthcare, technology, professional services, and more, with a focus on women CEOs and senior leaders, first-time C-suite leaders,  teams, and middle management groups navigating change, new initiatives, or growth.

LaTonya’s expertise has been recognized through numerous accolades, including her book being named a top-10 inclusion book for executives, a SHRM-approved must-read for HR leaders, and a leading psychological safety resource. She has been featured in Fast Company, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, Well+Good, and Inc. Magazine. In 2024, she was honored as a LinkedIn Top Voice.

As an adjunct MBA lecturer and coach at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, LaTonya combines academic excellence with practical insights. Her impactful teaching has been lauded by both undergraduate and graduate students. Through her coaching and writing, LaTonya continues to shape a more inclusive and connected workplace for leaders worldwide.

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Are you looking to improve the quality of your conversations across differences?

Psychological safety is the most effective tool for reducing workplace stress, navigating conflict, increasing feelings of belonging, and cultivating the diverse workplaces we want to see. It is one of the most important skills for leaders to cultivate in today’s workplace. This guide includes definitions, a brief assessment, tactics, and coaching/reflection prompts.

Download it today!

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