An Interview with Chad Silverstein
Focus on the Whole Person — Coaching is evolving to support the complete well-being of clients: mind, body, spirit, and career. This means expanding our focus to include emotional intelligence — empathy, self-awareness, resilience, adaptability, stress tolerance — alongside psychological well-being. Practices like promoting psychological safety and applying neuroscience are now core to effective coaching. For example, I’ve incorporated mindfulness into sessions, helping clients stay present and practice deep, genuine listening.
The world of coaching is undergoing a seismic shift, with emerging trends set to redefine its boundaries and possibilities. From digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence to the growing emphasis on mental health and the global rise of coaching cultures within organizations, these developments are reshaping the landscape of personal and professional growth. As we navigate through these changes, understanding the forces that drive the future of coaching becomes paramount. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mary Key, Ph.D.
Dr. Mary Key is a leadership development expert and executive coach, founder of Mary Key & Associates, and the Key Women’s Leadership Forum. She has served as an international consultant, facilitator, speaker, and trusted advisor across many sectors and has authored multiple books and articles. Her expertise and dedication have made her a sought-after leader in executive coaching and organizational development.
Thank you for joining us. To start, could you share your “origin story” with our readers? How did you begin your coaching journey, and what challenges did you face in the early days?
After graduate school, I began my career at a major consulting firm, where I focused on human resource and leadership development consulting. I was also trained as a coach and facilitator by the organization. I had the opportunity to travel the world and work with clients from various backgrounds and cultures. I really enjoyed the work.
One of my biggest challenges was not feeling like I had a personal life. The demands of the position made work-life integration of any kind difficult. At the time, virtual work wasn’t an option. I would be gone weeks at a time and come home to lots of laundry and an empty refrigerator. In the little spare time I had, I would prepare for the next project or assignment.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
The three character traits that have been most instrumental in my success as an executive coach and facilitator are purpose, integrity, and courage. Purpose involves having clarity about my life’s mission and aligning my work with it so that everything I do serves an overarching goal. Integrity means consistently doing the right thing, building trust through confidentiality, and maintaining honesty with my clients. Courage is about taking the lead, embracing calculated risks, and stepping out of my comfort zone when necessary to grow personally and professionally.
These traits came together during a pivotal moment in my career when I transitioned from leading a division at a large firm to starting my own business. First, I clarified my purpose, which is to help leaders and organizations grow, and built my brand around this mission. Then, I leveraged the trust I had built with past contacts, whose confidence in my integrity allowed me to engage with them about their concerns and priorities. Finally, as I faced the challenges of developing my own business and encountering more rejections than I was used to with a large firm, I relied on courage. I moved forward, created essential services based on my skill set, and remained true to my purpose, even when tempted by financially advantageous opportunities that didn’t align with my values.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
My favorite life lesson quote is from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” I really connect with this quote because it highlights how important it is to be resilient when things get tough. I’ve often surprised myself by sticking it out in uncertain situations that felt right for both my clients and me. Staying strong during challenging times has boosted my confidence and can inspire others, too.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
My upcoming book focuses on compassion, defined as the ability to recognize the challenges others face, display empathy, and actively commit to providing support. It’s the combination of empathy and action that gives rise to true compassion. Action transforms empathy from a passive understanding into a proactive force for good. This “Empathy + Action” approach creates a strategy of compassion that benefits everyone involved — the giver and the receiver.
One aspect of compassion that resonates deeply with me is the evidence-based research showing that making time for daily acts of compassion not only positively impacts the receiver but also benefits the giver. For example, research shows that making time to be compassionate helps prevent personal burnout.
Becoming a compassionate leader or coach begins with self-awareness, the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. By cultivating self-awareness, individuals gain a deeper understanding of their own experiences, which enhances their capacity for empathy and compassion toward others. Additionally, self-compassion is essential; you can only extend compassion to others sustainably if you first practice it with yourself.
I continue to work with organizations who have a higher purpose than just financial growth on honing their mission, vision, and values along with developing a plan to make their vision reality. This type of strategic planning benefits individuals, teams and organizations and aligns them with what is purposeful for them.
Without saying any names could you share a particularly memorable success story from your coaching career?
I had the opportunity to coach the incoming president of a division of a global company, where no previous president had lasted longer than 18 months. His goal was to stay in the role for at least three years. During our sessions, he expressed a desire to gather more input from his executive team, believing their participation was crucial for effective collaboration and innovation. He also expressed a concern that his team wasn’t participating enough in meetings.
My client invited me to observe one of their executive meetings and introduced me to his team as a consultant. I noticed that he often dominated the conversation, and when he did seek input, he would tap his finger on the desk as each person spoke, which tended to cut their comments short.
After the meeting, as I was about to ask him how he felt about how it went, he exclaimed, “See what I mean! They don’t participate.” I was caught off guard by his lack of self-awareness. At his request, I provided him with behavioral feedback on my observations. He was unaware of the tapping noise he made and its impact on the team. He also didn’t realize that he wasn’t listening to his team. Self-awareness is the foundation of any behavior change.
In our coaching sessions, he recognized the need to break the habit of interrupting others and the tendency to tap his finger while waiting for his turn to speak. We developed behavior modification strategies to help him curb these impulses. It worked! Along with additional leadership development skills that we worked on, these changes contributed to his success in the role for over five years.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview about coaching. How has your approach to coaching evolved over the years, and what personal learnings have you applied to your own development?
Early on in my career, I developed communication and coaching skills that made me “unconsciously competent”- I was effectively guiding others without fully understanding the mechanics of what made it work. As I became more conscious of my strengths and aware of areas where I wasn’t adding as much value to the coaching process, I began to grow as a coach. This self-awareness helped me fine-tune my approach and deepen my impact.
The key learnings I developed include the power of asking good questions, which not only opens dialogue but also helps clients explore their own insights. I’ve honed my ability to empathize with others, communicating back the feeling and meaning of what they are expressing to facilitate their exploration of issues and opportunities. Additionally, I focus on staying mindful and present during coaching sessions, fully engaging with my clients in real time.
I’ve incorporated giving and receiving feedback into the coaching process from the start by gathering input from the “coachee” and when appropriate, key stakeholders in their environment. Use of validated assessments like the EQ-i and the Hogan can enhance the focus and development of key competencies. To help clients make measurable progress, I support the development of personal scorecards that set clear goals and action plans and track progress over time.
In addition to these techniques, I’ve studied neuroscience and have applied best practices from the field to help my clients make more effective decisions. One critical aspect of this application is assisting them in shifting their focus from the amygdala in the brain, which triggers the fight-or-flight response, to the neocortex, where curiosity, critical thinking, and strategic planning take place. This brain-based approach enables clients to engage their higher-order thinking and find creative, resourceful solutions, rather than reacting out of fear or stress.
By integrating these strategies, I’ve enhanced both my coaching effectiveness and my clients’ ability to define and reach meaningful goals.
How do you incorporate feedback into your coaching practice to continuously improve?
Continuous improvement in coaching involves ongoing assessment of performance, identifying areas for growth, and implementing enhancements to the coaching process. Regular feedback is crucial to this continuous improvement, so incorporating tools, apps, assessments, and structured evaluation procedures is essential to maximizing coaching effectiveness. I use both leading and lagging indicators to monitor and improve the coaching process.
For instance, a leading indicator could include seeking immediate feedback after each coaching session — something as simple as asking on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being unhelpful and 5 being extremely helpful): “How would you rate our session today, and why?” A lagging indicator might involve asking the “coachee” to complete a comprehensive evaluation of their overall coaching experience.
Can you discuss an innovation in coaching that you believe is currently underappreciated but has the potential to significantly impact the field?
AI is one of the biggest innovations in coaching today, though it is sometimes underappreciated, especially by coaches who may not yet feel comfortable using it. In my experience, AI has been incredibly valuable for synthesizing data from 360-degree interviews and providing a more comprehensive and focused feedback process that helps coaching clients set clear goals. It also brings efficiency and effectiveness in generating reports in various formats, streamlining the administrative side of coaching.
A notable example of AI’s potential in coaching comes from my colleague and mentor, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, who has incorporated AI into his coaching processes. By doing so, he has made his methodologies accessible to other coaches, allowing them to leverage this technology alongside online tools like mindfulness, apps. These innovations enhance coaching support and help clients stay accountable and focused. AI can be a powerful tool with significant impact on the field and beyond.
In what ways can coaching address the evolving mental health needs of diverse populations in a digitally connected world?
The global mental health crisis is staggering. The World Health Organization, Project Hope and other related organizations report that nearly half of the global population will have mental health challenges in their lifetime and yet only about two-thirds of the people in need now receive care due to limited resources including the lack of trained professionals.
Coaching can help to address these issues in a variety of ways: use of tele-coaching, expanded group coaching applications, on-line learning through video and AI avatars, and training paraprofessionals to provide basic coaching under professional supervision.
How do you foresee artificial intelligence and machine learning transforming the coaching industry in the next decade?
AI is set to revolutionize coaching by offering unprecedented levels of predictive data and personalized coaching interventions. By leveraging machine learning to track client progress and facilitate follow-ups, AI can assist clients in forming new habits and provide real-time feedback, enhancing the coaching experience between sessions. Virtual coaching assistants and chatbots are likely to become even more prevalent, providing clients with immediate guidance and reinforcing key skills they learn in live sessions.
The scalability AI brings allows coaches to broaden their reach and deliver more targeted content relevant to specific stakeholders, paving the way for hybrid coaching models that combine human insight with AI-driven support. This model will make it possible for more clients to participate and for coaches to integrate best practices effectively and efficiently.
However, the increasing reliance on AI calls for a careful approach to ensure ethical standards evolve alongside technological advancements. Safeguarding client confidentiality and maintaining the essential human connection central to effective coaching are crucial. As AI continues to grow in the coaching profession, it’s important to uphold these standards and remain vigilant so that the role of human empathy and connection is neither compromised nor marginalized.
What role do you believe ethical considerations and privacy concerns will play in the future of coaching, especially with the increased use of digital platforms?
Ethical considerations and privacy concerns are and will play a significant role in the future of coaching. AI brings so much to the table to enhance executive coaching and at the same time, there are ethical and confidentiality considerations that need immediate attention.
One key area is data privacy and informed consent — There’s a need for more stringent data privacy initiatives. Clients should be fully aware of the use of AI, what is being collected, and how tracking behavior patterns make informed consent essential to avoid ethical and confidentiality breaches. Coaches should be transparent about how insights are gleaned — do they come from the coach’s observation, AI analysis or some combination?
AI platforms are not without bias in how the algorithms are developed, how the data is presented and recommendations made to clients. Coaches and developers should be cautious and audit AI algorithms and recommendations for bias. On demand coaching platforms allow coaches to leverage themselves by managing routine tasks; however, the role of digital tools and coach interaction needs to be defined and monitored. The real benefit of coaching comes from human interaction.
Could you list and briefly explain “Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Coaching” based on your experiences and insights? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
I’m sharing my own observations as well as the trends I’ve read about from peers in the field. Here are the top five:
- Focus on the Whole Person — Coaching is evolving to support the complete well-being of clients: mind, body, spirit, and career. This means expanding our focus to include emotional intelligence — empathy, self-awareness, resilience, adaptability, stress tolerance — alongside psychological well-being. Practices like promoting psychological safety and applying neuroscience are now core to effective coaching. For example, I’ve incorporated mindfulness into sessions, helping clients stay present and practice deep, genuine listening.
- Integration of AI and Technology — AI and tech platforms are transforming coaching by enhancing value and scalability, freeing coaches to focus on deep human connections. For instance, I use AI to synthesize interview data when gathering 360 feedback, identifying key strengths and areas for growth. Once coaching goals are set, I leverage digital platforms for tracking progress and providing real-time feedback.
- Use of Varied Coaching Formats — Traditional one-on-one coaching is expanding to include team and group formats, as well as “micro-coaching” for immediate needs. Team coaching strengthens internal collaboration, while group coaching addresses shared challenges, as seen with my Key Women’s Leadership Forum, which supports women’s growth across mind, body, spirit, and career. Micro-coaching, meanwhile, offers timely support — like help with a new role or a big presentation — in a short, focused format.
- Virtual and Digital Coaching — Virtual coaching has become more common, using tools like Zoom, Teams, and other digital platforms. These tools allow for flexible, on-demand support, increasing accessibility and client accountability. I often recommend apps that help clients stay on track with their goals and offer immediate feedback to keep their momentum.
- Compassionate Coaching/Leadership for All Stakeholders — Compassionate coaching — empathy in action — is becoming more central to coaching and leadership, benefiting everyone involved. Research shows that spending just 16 minutes a day practicing compassion increases resilience and prevents burnout. This kind of compassionate approach is crucial not just for clients, but for coaches too. For example, I’ve seen the positive effects of tracking small daily acts of kindness, which improves resilience and well-being across the board.
How do you envision the integration of coaching within organizational cultures changing the landscape of leadership and employee development?
With the integration of coaching within organizational cultures, the landscape will shift to support expanded continuous learning and empower employees to be initiative-taking in seeking feedback and setting personal growth goals that align with the culture’s priorities.
Expanded integration of coaching will enhance psychological safety and strengthen trust.
The DNA of the organization will shift to support increased ownership and accountability and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion if the culture is committed to becoming a learning organization for all members. The integration will boost organizational effectiveness and create a more purpose-driven environment.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the coaching industry today, and how might we overcome it?
The responses I made earlier to the question about the impact of AI on the profession sets the stage for the biggest challenges I see facing the coaching profession. Our increasing reliance on AI calls for a careful approach to ensure ethical standards evolve alongside technological advancements. Safeguarding client confidentiality and maintaining the essential human connection central to effective coaching are crucial. As AI continues to grow in the coaching profession, it’s important to uphold these standards and remain vigilant so that the role of human empathy and connection is neither compromised nor marginalized.
What is one long-term goal you have for your coaching practice, and how are you working towards it?
My long-term goal is to be a lifelong learner and cultivate a growth mindset. This personal commitment lies at the heart of my coaching practice, where I strive to model a growth mindset in my practice and actively support its development in everyone I coach or train as future coaches.
How can our readers continue to follow your work?
Thank you for offering such valuable insights into the future of coaching. We look forward to seeing your work continue to reach new heights, and we wish you continued success.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur and Thought Leader with over 25 years of business experience. He has founded, operated, and exited multiple companies and now builds into a handful of high impact CEOs. Chad has launched multiple online communities, including a recent leadership development platform, and also serves as a strategic advisor for Authority Magazine’s thought-leader incubator program.
To learn more and connect with Chad visit: chadsilverstein.io
Dr Mary Key on The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Coaching was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.