Interrogating Coaching Through the Lens of Critical Leadership Perspectives

Abstract

Coaching, leadership coaching, mentoring, and other conceptualizations for one-on-one supportive relationships have been popular for a very long time. Coaching is now a global phenomenon used throughout the world to help leaders and people achieve their goals, become better leaders, and solve challenges. Indeed, many of the people receiving the coaching have lauded the benefits of the model for their own leadership and personal development and achievements. Similarly, leadership has been a popular concept among both scholars and practitioners. Leadership, as a concept and practice, has been critiqued and interrogated over the years pushing the field forward in new and exciting directions. Coaching is just now going through a similar process with critical theory being applied to the coaching model and the practice of coaching. This chapter offers a critical perspective and interrogation of coaching through the lens of leadership critiques to further inform those connections.