This Research Topic aims to explore and provide new insights into the theme of identity in business and leadership coaching.

Coaching is one of the fastest-growing professions recognized as a core component of human resource development. An inquiry into identity in coaching stems from the recognition that coaching, while addressing issues related to leadership and business management, often involves an exploration of the self and one’s identity.

Evidence suggests that addressing identity work in coaching leaders, teams and groups significantly increases the success rate of individual transitions and growth, and energizes and empowers clients. As a relational form of support central to meaning-making, coaching can act as an enabler, freeing people to explore their identity motives, clarify their current values and purpose, consider the choices available and holistically design their life.

One of the benefits of coaching is getting people more in touch with themselves. Learning about ‘self’ through coaching has an impact on how people see themselves and the development of their identity. Others add that alongside mentoring, coaching can be credited with helping clients in narrating future career identities and assisting them in working through identity conflicts arising from the impact of social change, and multicultural diverse societies.

And yet topics around identity and identity work are given little prominence in coaching education leaving many coaches unaware of the basic constructs of identity and identity work. Given the pervasive concept of identity in human consciousness, the proliferation of coaching in the past few decades, and the recent emergence of identity in organizational studies, the literature offers very limited research on the specifics of identity coaching, identity construct in coaching, and ways in which coaches deal with it. While studies referencing identity are present in the academic literature, only a small number provide practical implications for coaching and they do not delve into the ‘how’ of identity coaching.

This Research Topic is designed to respond to this gap and provide new insights into the theme of identity in coaching. We are interested in papers drawing on the latest research into identity, the identity coaching process, and the development of these through new models and frameworks. We are especially interested in the exploration of ‘the how’, tools, and techniques which can assist coaches in identity work with their clients.

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Frontiers in Psychology

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