Twenty-Eight Years, and Still Becoming
Early in my career I had the fortune of working with Warren Bennis, and one line of his has never left me: "becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself." Simple, he said — and exactly that difficult.
There’s a lot I love about this–but first and foremost is the tense. Not became. Becoming. You are never finished. You are always under construction; always one new perspective, ‘a-ha’ moment, or small experiment away from the next version of yourself.
The same is true of ICF WA! Our chapter turned 28 this year–28 years of incredible volunteer coaches building something great–and your Board has embraced the exciting challenge of reinventing “what’s next.” I’d like to celebrate three recent moves the Board has made to how we serve you:
- Coach Community Connection (CCC) is here to stay. This year we decided to experiment with local gatherings–and we have been thrilled by the results. Thirteen local gatherings drew roughly one in 10 chapter members to attend and nearly two-thirds came back for more. Beyond foot traffic, 97% told us it deepened their sense of belonging in this profession and 94% indicated they would attend again. One member described watching coaches reconnect after years apart and "glow up like shining stars." Your feedback was unambiguous: more, please. So, the Board has invested in CCC as a regular offering in our portfolio. To our pilot crew, our ambassadors, and everyone who showed up—you built this. Thank you. Stay tuned for more.
- May 2027 Conference. Over the last few years of member surveys, we’ve heard a number of messages consistently: among them, that you’re looking for more connection with each other and more tools to hone your craft–and build your business. Our programming is an important way we deliver on this imperative–and, we know you can only get so much out of short 1-hour sessions. We’re thrilled to share that the Board has committed to hosting a local Conference built for coaches in Washington. We’re early in the planning stage but, for now, imagine: One day; advanced learning; CCEUs; business-building content; and the largest room this chapter has gathered in years. Stay tuned for more!
- Rewiring how we work. The Board has also done the hard work of examining how we work–which, as always, often surfaces places to celebrate and places to…well…work differently. We are evolving our governance so structure follows strategy instead of dictating it: fewer fixed titles, more chartered teams with clear goals and real resources. It is the least visible item here and possibly the most consequential. It means that when you tell us something matters, we can stand up a team to pursue it quickly–rather than wrestle with how to fit it into our structure.
Which brings me to the open chair. None of this runs solely on the Board. It runs on coaches who decide this community is worth their hands. This fall we are opening board seats and leadership team roles—deliberately shorter, clearer, and shared, because we know that historically we’ve asked too much of too few. If you have ever thought “someday I'd like to help shape this”—someday has come! Read “Lead Where It Matters” in this issue and raise your hand.
And if you have not taken our member survey, please do–every one of the things I’m celebrating today started as a line in one!
Always becoming,
Ashley Wollam
President, ICF Washington State Chapter