How the industry blurs the lines and what real growth looks like for first-time coachees.

A few weeks ago, I officially stepped into my coaching practice. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with young professionals and emerging leaders — many of whom are stepping intentionally into professional development for the first time.

And something interesting keeps showing up.

There’s a blur.
A confusion.
A merging of coaching and mentorship into one basket — especially for first-time coachees.

This isn’t their fault. If anything, I think the industry has contributed to this misunderstanding.

Why So Many People Confuse Coaching With Mentorship

Let me be honest: I partly blame our industry for this blurry line.

We live in a world where anyone can call themselves a coach. We have business coaches, fitness coaches, “make seven figures in six months” coaches, career coaches, lifestyle coaches…the list goes on.

And because many of these forms of “coaching” lean heavily into instruction —
Do this workout.
Follow this meal plan.
Use this CV template.
Optimize your LinkedIn like this.

— people assume coaching is about telling.

But executive coaching isn’t built on telling.
It isn’t built on manuals.
It isn’t built on “Here are the 6 steps you must follow.”

Professional coaching — real coaching — is a partnership rooted in inquiry, clarity, ownership, and growth. It’s a discipline with ethics, structure, and philosophy behind it.

Yet because many people in the market haven’t been trained professionally, they unknowingly blend coaching with mentorship. And when you’re working with young leaders who are hungry for direction, it becomes even easier to slip into “let me just tell you what to do.”

My Own Temptation: When Experience Pulls You Toward Mentorship

Before becoming an executive coach, I spent years in leadership — two in middle management and over eight in senior leadership managing global teams. So when a young leader comes into a session struggling with stakeholder management, visibility, relationship challenges, or building trust…
I know what has worked for me.

And the temptation is right there:

To guide.
To direct.
To say, “Here’s the playbook. Just follow it.”

But that is mentorship.
That is training.
That is telling.

Coaching is different.

Coaching says:
“You get to arrive at your own answers. I’m here to help you think, explore, and choose clearly.”