October 2025 FLA Newsletter
📰 The Courageous Coach Chronicle
Your Monthly Guide to Coaching Education
October 2025 Edition
Delivering lessons, tools, and updates to inspire growth in yourself, those you lead, and those you coach.
Welcome to the October 2025 edition of the Courageous Coach Chronicle! This month brings you the latest updates from the ICF, a celebration of the vibrant coaching community, and updates on the inspiring initiatives recently launched by Flatter. Whether you’re here to stay informed, feel connected, or be inspired, this edition is packed with meaningful insights and opportunities to grow together.
🎓 J.R.’s Corner
Steady progress, cohort milestones, and what’s next.
The Leadership of Autumn
Autumn is in the air. I love this time of year! The crisp mornings carry both a bite and a freshness. The Rappahannock River runs fast and furious on my morning runs. Each step on the trail lands on a layer of fallen leaves.
I am not sure there is a “normal” state of affairs in our industry but things seem to be settling down a bit. Not that we have slowed down, because we are speeding up if anything. Rather, I see a bit more clarity and predictability in the marketplace than we have experienced in recent months.
Congratulations to the entire team on our recent series of wins. Each of you contributes directly and indirectly to every success we have as a team. Many more wins are in the near and distant future so we will have plenty to celebrate in the months ahead.
Coach with Courage,
– J.R.
🌟 Coach Successes 🌟
We’re celebrating two incredible milestones from members of our coaching community this month!
👏 Jason Marsh
A Leader, and now officially an ICF Certified Coach! Jason recently earned his ACC credential, marking a major accomplishment after 18 months of dedication, learning, and service to his clients. Jason shared heartfelt gratitude to mentors, coaches, and the FLA team—especially J.R. Flatter, Ph.D.—for supporting his journey.
📣 ICF Pulse 🔄
👉 Core Competencies 2.0: ICF launched its 2025 Core Competencies with additions, revisions, and clearer terminology to reflect how coaching is evolving. Coaches and leaders alike can use these updates to recalibrate their developmental goals. (See The Next Evolution)
👉 Coaching Profession on the Rise: The newly released 2025 Global Coaching Study shows coaching revenue at $5.34B, practitioner growth of 15%, and strong optimism for the year ahead. It’s a reminder that demand for high-quality leadership coaching is strengthening globally.
👉 Annual Report Highlights: The 2024 ICF Annual Report spotlights ICF’s launch of its AI Coaching Framework, major volunteer engagement, and awards recognizing its collaborative impact.
👉 Upcoming: ICF Converge 2025: October 23–25 in San Diego (hybrid). Theme lines up with leadership priorities: innovation, coaching science, internal coaching, and business growth.
Need help creating ICF coaching certification prep plan?
Our team is here—reach out at FLA@FlatterInc.com.
🎉 AÇAI Live: Igniting Responsible AI Leadership 🎉
Earlier this month, Flatter hosted its inaugural AÇAI Live event — a dynamic, hands-on lab designed to accelerate responsible AI adoption across federal, defense, and mission-driven sectors. Over two immersive days, participants:
💡 Designed and deployed 47+ purpose-built GPTs
🧠 Conducted 93+ AI chats, generating actionable work products
🔗 Explored agentic workflows and GPT-5 connectors🤖 Received tailored executive assistant GPTs and learned how to export them across LLM environments
🧭 Engaged in critical dialogue on AI ethics, limitations, and alignment with public service values
🏅 Earned AI Champion Credly Badges
This event was a powerful step toward equipping professionals to lead AI integration with discipline, empathy, and clarity. From governance to generative tools, the conversations were rich, the creativity bold, and the commitment to ethical, people-centered innovation unmistakable.
Special thanks to co-facilitators Lucas Flatter and Aboudi Tayara for their technical clarity and facilitation strength, and to Reno McCormick, Christian Hawks, and Patrick Alston for their operational insights — especially around security and responsible deployment in defense settings.
🎉 Congratulations to Wonda Grayson, winner of the Meta Smart Glasses raffle — and to every participant who left better prepared to champion AI in their organizations.
The future of work is here. At Flatter, we’re proud to help leaders meet it with courage and capability.
💡 Spotlight: Lucas Flatter – Architect of AI Persona Capability
This month, we’re thrilled to spotlight Lucas Flatter, Flatter’s lead developer behind our cutting-edge AI persona capabilities. Lucas has been instrumental in shaping how our teams build, deploy, and scale GPT-powered agents for real-world impact — from executive assistants to mission-specific personas.
His work enables:
⚙️ Rapid prototyping of custom GPTs tailored to operational needs
🧠 Agentic workflows that mirror real decision-making environments
🔐 Secure, scalable deployment across federal and defense contexts
🎓 Hands-on training experiences that empower professionals to lead AI integration with confidence
Lucas’s approach blends technical precision with human-centered design, ensuring that every AI persona supports ethical, effective, and measurable outcomes. His contributions have powered everything from AÇAI Live labs to internal capability builds — helping leaders turn AI potential into performance.
Want to explore how persona-driven AI can transform your team’s workflows? Reach out to learn more or schedule a hands-on demo with Lucas and the team!
🔦 Behind the Build: A Conversation with Lucas Flatter, Persona OPP Architect
Q1: What excites you most about building AI personas for leadership and mission-driven teams?
A: “Every organization has unique needs, and conversational AI can meet those needs in powerful, creative ways. What excites me most is uncovering those requirements and then building solutions that truly enhance how teams lead, communicate, and deliver impact. It’s about turning possibility into performance.”
Q2: What’s one breakthrough or moment from your recent work that made you think, “This is the future”?
A: “I’ve been coding for over a decade, and usually, getting something to work takes multiple iterations. But recently, using AI to assist in development, I’ve been able to get functional results on the first try — which frees me up to focus on the creative side of problem-solving instead of just the technical build. That shift feels like a glimpse into the future of how we’ll work.”
This adds a personal and forward-looking touch, giving readers a glimpse into the innovation happening behind the scenes.
🛠️ This Month’s L.T.C. (Lesson, Tool, Case Study)
Plasma and the Power of Human Connection
Forgive me for geeking out, but I am a geek, so here we go!
I’ve been thinking about plasma a lot lately – ever since my son showed his children how to create plasma in a microwave with a grape split in half.
In physics, plasma is often described as the “fourth state of matter.” Unlike solids, liquids, or gases, plasma is created when energy excites particles until they begin to move freely, colliding and bonding in ways that generate light, heat, and power. Plasma is what gives stars their brilliance.
As leaders and coaches, we can think of human connection in much the same way. When two people engage with openness and presence, energy is exchanged. Ideas spark. Bonds form. Trust is built. Just like plasma, these connections are not static; they are alive, dynamic, and full of potential.
Plasma reminds me of three truths about connection:
- Energy must be present. Just as plasma cannot exist without an energy source, authentic connection requires us to bring our full attention, curiosity, and presence. Leaders who practice mindfulness; being fully present in the moment; create the conditions where others feel seen, heard, and valued.
- Bonds are created through collisions. In plasma, particles collide and form new bonds. In leadership, collisions happen when diverse perspectives meet. The courage to lean into those moments, sometimes uncomfortably, creates the space for growth and innovation.
- Light emerges from connection. Plasma generates light. In human terms, connection generates insight. When we exchange energy with others in honest, respectful dialogue, we illuminate possibilities that may have remained hidden without that interaction.
In every conversation, whether in a coaching session, a team huddle, or a moment of mentorship, leaders have the opportunity to “create plasma.” To energize. To bond. To light the way.
Where in your leadership this week might you be called to generate plasma?
What energy will you bring into the conversation?
How will you hold space for bonds and light to emerge?
🗓️ Upcoming FLA Events
📅 Mark Your Calendar: AÇAI Champion Meeting
Join us on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, from 1:00–2:00 PM EST for a fast-paced, hands-on session designed for professionals eager to bring AI capabilities into their organizations. Expect practical training, live demos, and real-world insights to help you lead responsible AI integration with confidence and clarity.
🌟 Save the Date! Brown Bag Lunch Coming Soon
Join us for an open conversation designed for anyone weaving coaching into their personal and professional leadership style. This session is a chance to connect, share, and learn together. Stay tuned—the date announcement is on its way!
☕ ICF FXBG Chapter: Coaches & Coffee – October
Our monthly Coaches & Coffee gatherings are back! These sessions offer space for connection, learning, and shared growth within our coaching community. Details on date and time will be announced soon—stay tuned!
💬 Final Thought: Exploration Over Perfection
October invites us to pause between the energy of September’s new beginnings and the steady march toward year’s end. The air grows cooler, the leaves turn, and nature reminds us that transition can be both beautiful and necessary.
In leadership, too, the art lies not in resisting change but in recognizing the cycles at play—moments to build, moments to let go, and moments to prepare for what’s next. When we lean into this rhythm, we create space for both growth and renewal in ourselves and in those we serve.
This October, may we practice leading with balance: letting go of what no longer serves, holding steady where it matters most, and preparing with vision for the season ahead.
🍂 With gratitude,
The Flatter Leadership Academy Team
