Marie Michael Library

Coaching and mentoring for leadership development in civil society

Deans, Fran; Oakley, Louise

Coaching and mentoring are capacity-building tools, especially in the area of leadership development. Despite their status, many of us are unclear what coaching and mentoring really involve, and where and when they work. Coaching tends to be viewed as more task-oriented, skills-focused, directed and time-bound, whereas mentoring is more focused on open-ended personal development. This paper examines a range of experiences using mentoring and coaching with leaders of CSOs in a range of contexts, including Africa, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Bosnia, and the UK.