The evolution of leadership coaching

The Vision Coaching roster of talented, internationally accredited coaches. Each bringing a distinctive perspective shaped by real-world leadership and a shared belief in the power of coaching. 

These days, I find myself reflecting on just how far leadership coaching has come over the last two decades – and how grateful I am for the remarkable people who make up the coaching roster at Vision Coaching.

They are experienced, principled, and deeply committed to their craft – each bringing a distinctive perspective shaped by real-world leadership and a shared belief in the power of coaching. 

They are internationally credentialled coaches, coming from diverse backgrounds and bring different strengths to their work – but they all share a unified focus on supporting meaningful growth in others. 

They've helped countless leaders discover new perspectives, lead with clarity, and find confidence in their voice. They've helped people navigate change, seize opportunity, and build stronger organizations and teams.

Proud of the team

Their talent and generosity of spirit are the heartbeat of Vision Coaching. And as we look ahead to the next chapter of our growth, I’m incredibly proud of the team we’ve built – and excited for what’s next.

It’s hard to believe that when I launched Vision Coaching almost 20 years ago now, the concept of coaching was still new. Coaching was often misunderstood or mistaken for something else entirely. 

I remember being asked, "Who’s your competition?" and not having a clear answer – because there simply weren’t many credentialled coaching organizations in the region. The focus in those early days was as much about educating as it was about coaching.

I used to share a story from The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life that always seemed to capture those early days. It’s about two salespeople sent to a distant country to explore opportunities. One wires back: “Situation hopeless – no one here wears shoes.” The other sends a different message: “Unbelievable opportunity – no one here wears shoes!”

Coaching is now recognized as a high-impact leadership development tool, with more and more organizations making it part of how they grow and support their people.

That second mindset was exactly how we saw the coaching landscape 20 years ago. Where others may have seen a lack of demand, we saw potential. People didn’t know they needed coaching – we just had to show them what it was and why it mattered.

Fast forward to today, and the shift is remarkable. 

With International Coaching Week running from May 12 to 18, it feels like the perfect moment to acknowledge progress and the people who’ve made it possible.

Coaching is now recognized as a high-impact leadership development tool, with more and more organizations making it part of how they grow and support their people. Programs we once would have struggled to fill are now oversubscribed after a single email. In some sectors, having a coach is no longer unusual – it’s expected.

Raised eyebrows

The data backs this up. Globally, the number of coaches grew by more than 50 per cent between 2019 and 2022. Coaching revenue is up more than 60 per cent since 2020. And today, it is estimated that up to 40 per cent of Fortune 500 companies invest in executive coaching for their leaders.

One story I often share is from our work with the New Brunswick Medical Society. Years ago, we partnered on a pilot coaching program for physicians – a group not traditionally associated with seeking coaching support. 

At the time, there was still a perception among some that coaching was remedial or only for those struggling, especially in high-performance professions. 

So it could have raised eyebrows. 

But the program filled almost immediately after just one email. To me, that was a powerful signal: coaching had not only gained traction, but credibility.

How far we've come

And yet, there is still work to do. In many conversations, I still find myself explaining what coaching is – and more importantly, what it isn’t. But we’re light years from where we started.

As we reflect on how far the profession has come, I hope we also inspire those who haven’t yet experienced coaching to ask: what might I be missing? How could coaching help me or my team? (If you are one of those curious people, contact us -- we'd be delighted to explore how coaching can help.)

For 20 years, Vision Coaching has been helping people find those answers. And that is thanks to the incredible coaches who make this work possible.

With gratitude,

Dave Veale Founder & CEO

Vision Coaching Inc.