Directed by James W. Falcon, written by ChatGPT Published: June 21, 2025 | 10:00 AM
Rethinking the Role of the Coach
In the world of leadership and development, coaching and consulting are often misunderstood, misused, and mistaken for each other. While both can spark transformation, they are distinctly different disciplines—each with its own rhythm, rigor, and reach.
This post was originally developed for doctoral studies and restructured here for Global Pathways to offer a deeper look at what coaching truly is, how it differs from consulting, and what both practices have in common. Whether you’re a coach, a leader, or a curious learner, this comparison invites clarity and opens the door for aligned, intentional growth.
What Is Coaching… Really?
As a long-time practitioner and coaching practice owner, I define coaching as:
A developmental process where a more experienced individual (the coach) works collaboratively with a less experienced individual (the coachee) to facilitate self-awareness, raise consciousness, and help them confidently pursue their goals.
This approach centers self-awareness and personal agency. The coach doesn’t dictate the path—they illuminate it. The coachee is empowered to discern, decide, and do what aligns with their personal vision and values (Theeboom, Beersma, & Van Vianen, 2014).
The heart of coaching is in the collaboration—mutual agreement, trust, and professional guidance toward transformation.
The Coaching Industry: Gaps & Growth
Despite its exponential growth and global popularity, coaching as an industry has no universally accepted definition, no formal governing body, and no standardized certification requirements (Cox, Clutterbuck, & Bachkirova, 2023; Kearns, 2006). This has led to a wide range of training programs, philosophical approaches, and practitioner capabilities.
Yet, somehow, coaching continues to thrive—driven by real-world results, relational dynamics, and increasing demand for personal and professional development (Bossons, Kourdi, & Sartain, 2012).
Coaching vs. Consulting: A Clear Contrast
Though they may appear similar on the surface, coaching and consulting serve distinct functions:
| Element | Coaching | Consulting |
|---|---|---|
| Core Focus | Personal development & self-awareness | Organizational change & problem-solving |
| Structure | Developmental, usually 1:1 | Strategic, often enterprise-wide |
| Standards | Largely unregulated | Guided by OD, change theory, and models |
| Accountability | Coach and client set informal goals | Consultant delivers scoped solutions to measurable issues |
| Theories/Frameworks | Coach’s preference, loosely defined | Action Research, Appreciative Inquiry, etc. |
Consulting is a science-backed, intervention-based practice, used to manage risk, assess performance, and resolve organizational challenges (Corn, 2015; Vukotić, Aničić, & Vukotić, 2017). Consultants are expected to bring frameworks, metrics, and measurable deliverables. Coaching, meanwhile, is deeply personal—unfolding over time and rarely prescribing a direct solution.
Yet both share a people-centered ethos, valuing the human element at the heart of change (Cox et al., 2023; Corn, 2015).
An Insight Worth Holding
The freedom coaching offers is powerful—but also precarious. With no official oversight, the discipline must rely on the character and capacity of the practitioner. Still, what struck me most in comparing the two is this:
Even with contradictions, coaching is thriving. Why? Because human beings are hungry for growth. And coaching meets them where they are—without waiting for permission or policy.
Final Thought
As coaching continues to grow and evolve, practitioners and clients alike must commit to intentional practice, ongoing learning, and clarity of purpose. Whether you’re drawn to coaching, consulting, or both, the real work is in creating environments where transformation becomes possible—and people are empowered to rise.
This content was developed in collaboration with ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI, to support the mission of Global Pathways Coaching Journal in providing insightful and empowering information.
All information in this blog post is the intellectual property of James W. Falcon and Global Pathways Coaching Journal—a subsidiary of The Encouragement Is Key Network, unless otherwise noted. Any information drawn from this post should be cited properly using standard scholastic writing guidelines and/or used with the express written consent of James and/or Global Pathways Coaching Journal.
📚 References
Bossons, P., Kourdi, J., & Sartain, D. (2012). Coaching essentials: Practical, proven techniques for world-class executive coaching (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. Corn, C. M., & Anderson, C. S. (2015). Implementation of organization development. In W. J. Rothwell (Ed.), Organization development fundamentals: Managing strategic change. ATD Press. Cox, E., Clutterbuck, D. A., & Bachkirova, T. (2023). The complete handbook of coaching. SAGE. Kearns, P. (2006). Does coaching work? Personnel Today, 6(1), 41–44. Theeboom, T., Beersma, B., & Van Vianen, A. E. (2014). Does coaching work? A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.837499 Vukotić, S., Aničić, J., & Vukotić, R. (2017). The importance of consulting in contemporary business management. Journal of Process Management and New Technologies, 5(3). Wikipedia contributors. (2025, May 21). Coaching. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaching ChatGPT. (2025). Assisted writing and content generation based on user-provided input. OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com
A New Horizon Coaching & Consulting Virtual Services 