Imagine a start-up founder who has just secured a significant round of funding and is preparing to scale operations rapidly. Faced with new challenges—hiring key talent, managing a growing team, navigating complex investor relationships, and setting a strategic vision—the founder realises that their previous experience may not fully equip them for this next stage.

They’ve heard of coaching, and mentoring but at this pivotal moment, what will help them to unlock their leadership potential? Is it a coach, or a mentor? Whilst the terms coaching and mentoring are often used interchangeably, they are distinct from each other and it is important to know the difference so that you can be sure that you’re requesting the right type of support. This choice can not only shape their personal growth, but the trajectory of the company.

What is coaching?
Coaching is generally defined as a process in which a coach helps an individual or group achieve specific goals by facilitating self-discovery, setting objectives, and encouraging personal development through questioning and feedback. The International Coaching Federation (ICF), describe coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential.”

What is mentoring?
Mentoring typically involves a more experienced person (the mentor) providing guidance, advice, and sharing their own experiences to support the growth and development of the mentee. The European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) describes mentoring as “a developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person.”

What’s the difference?
There are many differences between these definitions, but a key distinction is that coaching focuses on unlocking potential in a non-directive manner, whereas mentoring tends to be more directive, drawing on the mentor’s expertise and experience to guide the mentee. This changes the power dynamic, and the learning process.

So what do we mean by being directive and indirective?
Directive means providing explicit guidance, advice, or solutions based on the mentor’s own expertise or experience, actively steering the conversation and suggesting specific actions or answers to the person being supported. Indirective describes a style where the coach or mentor facilitates self-discovery by asking open questions, encouraging reflection, and allowing the individual to find their own answers, rather than offering direct solutions. This approach empowers the person to develop their own insights and skills, fostering greater independence and personal growth.

Why use an indirective approach?
Consider settling down with a cup of a tea to complete a sudoku or a crossword – only to find out someone has written all the answers for you. Is that helpful? Fun? Insightful? No, because the joy comes from finding the answer, not in having the answer. And that’s where the most learning takes place. Studies show that when individuals are encouraged to generate their own solutions, they demonstrate greater retention of learning, improved problem-solving abilities, and higher motivation compared to those who are simply given answers. A 2013 meta-analysis1 found that indirective coaching techniques, such as active listening and questioning, were strongly correlated with increased self-efficacy and long-term behavioural change.

What are the advantages of coaching to start-ups?
Picture this example of a founder navigating uncertainty around product-market fit. They may gain much more from a coach who asks, “What feedback have you received from customers, and what patterns do you notice?” than from one who simply suggests pivot strategies. This is supported by evidence, a 2015 study2 found that entrepreneurs who engaged in professional coaching reported enhanced decision-making skills, greater confidence in leadership, and improved capacity to manage stress and setbacks. It also helped them to adapt to change, enhance resilience and maintain motivation. If we come back to the example at the start, these are all skills essential for scaling up a business.

Another advantage comes from experiencing the power of coaching for yourself, learning the coaching style and bringing those approaches to your team as you scale and grow. Consider the completed crossword – if you’re the one providing the answers all the time, how will your team ever work out the answers for themselves? If you can use your own coaching experience to coach your team, you can support their development too, saving you time in the long-term.

These benefits expand beyond those individual, organisations where coaching is embedded as a cultural practice experience improved team collaboration, higher employee engagement, and increased innovation. This could be explained by the fact that these teams report better communication, greater trust, and a stronger sense of shared purpose, all of which contribute to higher overall performance and business growth. Research also indicates that ventures with a coaching culture are better equipped to adapt to market changes, retain top talent, and foster a climate of continuous learning, crucial for long-term success and sustainability.

So is coaching superior to mentoring?
Both approaches are important to start-ups. Drawing on the experience of someone who has already navigated your path can be invaluable—whether you’re seeking quick answers or keen to learn from their experience. For example, a founder under pressure from investors to meet aggressive growth targets, might benefit from directive answers for how to write a strategy or operational changes to satisfy stakeholder expectations. This is why at TREE strategy and coaching we blend our mentoring and support to give the benefits of both approaches. Both approaches can be helpful, and need to be tailored to the individual company.

What should I look for in a coach or mentor?
Surprisingly, the terms ‘coach’ and ‘mentor’ are not protected. This means that anyone can call themselves a coach or a mentor, regardless of whether they are actually qualified. When looking for a coach, reputable qualifications from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), International Coach Federation (ICF), Association for Coaching (AC) and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Finding the right coach or mentor is important. Meet potential coaches to ensure you feel heard and comfortable sharing openly and honestly with them and their style matches your needs. If you don’t, it won’t work.

How to assess the type of support you need
1. Consider what development needs you have as a company and as a leader, list these out from a strategy and leadership perspective
2. Think of a time where you have used or experienced a directive approach, and then do the same for an indirect style. Which do you prefer?

This may help to guide your next steps. Whether you choose mentoring, coaching, or a blend of both, the most effective approach is one that empowers you and your business to grow sustainably. This means getting the guidance, and the development that you need at this current point in time so that you can have resilience, confidence and long-term business success.

European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) (n.d.) What is Mentoring?
Grant, A. M., Passmore, J. Cavanagh, M. J. & Parker, H. (2010). The State of Play in Coaching Today: A Comprehensive Review of the Field. Annual Review of Industrial & Organizational Psychology. 25, pp125-168. Chichester: Wiley. Available at: [ResearchGate] (Accessed: 29 November 2025).
Moore, E. and Wang, Z. (2015) ‘Coaching for entrepreneurs: The case for coaching in new venture creation’, Journal of Business Venturing, 30(1), pp. 1–12.
Clutterbuck, D. and Megginson, D. (2011) Making Coaching Work: Creating a Coaching Culture. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.