• The Evolution of Coaching: Blanchard, who entered the field in 1989, was instrumental in its early development, including co-founding the ICF certification process. The profession evolved from an intuitive practice using simple tools, such as the "wheel of life," into a global industry.

• Current Industry Challenges: The coaching market has "exploded," leading to significant saturation. A primary challenge for even masterful, experienced coaches is differentiating themselves and standing out in a crowded field.

• The Rise of Team Leadership Coaching: Increasing workplace complexity, characterized by individuals leading and participating in multiple teams, has made team leadership coaching a critical and expanding niche. The ability to manage cross-team dynamics is now a key performance differentiator.

• The Dichotomy of AI in Coaching: The dialogue framed the impact of AI as a central debate. AI is poised to automate and scale the more basic, skill-building aspects of coaching, addressing significant cost and logistical barriers for organizations. However, there was a strong consensus that AI cannot replicate the essential human elements of masterful coaching. The core of coaching, which involves deep intuition, psychological safety, non-judgment, and what Blanchard termed "unconditional love" for the client, remains a uniquely human faculty.

• Strategic Imperative: The advised response to AI is not fear or blind adoption but strategic experimentation. The session concluded that as AI handles repetitive tasks, the most valuable human skills will be amplified. This creates a new mandate for coaches: to help leaders and organizations "elevate their humanity," turning empathy and emotional intelligence into their most critical assets.

• A Pioneer's Journey: Blanchard began her coaching career in 1989 after leaving a successful acting career. The decision was driven by a powerful epiphany that acting was no longer her path. She was introduced to the nascent concept of coaching by Henry Kimsey House (founder of the Co-Active Training Institute), which she embraced intuitively.

• Founding an Industry: Blanchard was a key figure in formalizing the profession. She, along with Laura Berman Forkang and Stephen Clooney, started the certification process for the International Coach Federation (ICF). A primary challenge in these early days was articulating how coaching was distinct from established fields like consulting, therapy, and counseling.

• Early Practice and Niche: Blanchard built her initial practice coaching actors, models, and other artists. She eventually identified her niche as working with "creative geniuses," defined by Immanuel Kant's concept of individuals who create something new from existing materials or ideas. She described her early belief in the power of coaching as "messianic," feeling it could solve all problems.

• Market Saturation and Differentiation: A persistent complaint since the industry's inception has been the proliferation of unqualified individuals calling themselves coaches. This issue has intensified as the industry has "exploded." The result is a highly saturated market where even "very experienced, masterful coaches are struggling to stand out in the crowd."

• The Rise of Team Leadership Coaching: The discussion identified team leader coaching as a crucial and growing specialization. This trend is driven by the exponential increase in workplace complexity. Unlike in the past, professionals now often lead multiple teams while also being members of several others.

    ◦ According to Blanchard, "the difference is going to be, are you a good team member? Are you good at helping your team interface with another team to get something done... That's going to be the differentiator."

he most significant portion of the dialogue was dedicated to the role of AI, examining its potential to both disrupt and enhance the coaching profession.

The Core Debate: Replacement vs. Assistance

• The Core Debate: Replacement vs. Assistance
The discussion was framed around two opposing viewpoints: that AI will eventually take over coaching entirely versus the view that it will serve primarily as a powerful assistant, unable to replace the core human exchange.

The Case for AI in Coaching

Participants acknowledged AI's significant potential to solve long-standing industry problems and create new efficiencies.

• Scalability and Cost-Effectiveness: Blanchard noted that a major impediment to the widespread adoption of coaching in organizations is its high cost and the logistical complexity of scaling it. AI offers a solution to make coaching more accessible.

• Automating the Basics: It was agreed that AI is well-suited to take over "basic coaching." This includes skill-building, administering and explaining assessments, identifying skill gaps, and recommending resources like courses.

• Practical Application: Speaker Sharmin described creating a custom AI chatbot for a client, feeding it with her public blog posts. The client uses the bot between sessions to gain insights and process thoughts, effectively accelerating the coaching trajectory.

The Irreplaceable Human Element

Despite its capabilities, the consensus was that AI cannot replicate the most profound and impactful aspects of coaching.