Executive Coaching Ethics & Confidentiality
Most leaks in coaching are not dramatic. A sponsor asks “how is it going.” The coach offers a vague progress note. The CEO hears that a private hour was summarised. Trust drops a notch and never quite returns.
Write the rules in week zero. Who is the client. What the sponsor may hear. What happens if the work touches legal, safety, or a board duty.
Who owns the room
In one-to-one CEO work, the client is the leader in the chair. The company may pay. That does not make the CHRO the second client unless you write it that way.
In team or board work, the client is the group, and the coach should say what will be fed back in the room versus what stays in a side conversation. See Board-Level Team Coaching for Growth.
A simple disclosure map
| Audience | They may hear | They should not hear |
|---|---|---|
| The leader | Everything said in their sessions | Nothing withheld to please a sponsor |
| The sponsor / CHRO | Themes the leader has agreed to share | Private history, family, or untested judgements |
| The chair or board | Only what the contract named in advance | Colour from the coaching hour |
| HR systems | Attendance and dates if required | Session notes |
| Legal or safety | Immediate risk the coach cannot hold alone | Ordinary political frustration |
If you cannot fill that table in one page, do not start. How to Select an Executive Coach should include this conversation.
Edge cases that need a sentence in the contract
- The CEO is also a succession candidate and the chair wants “readiness.”
- A private equity sponsor wants a monthly readout.
- Two co-CEOs share a coach.
- The coach is asked to sit in on ExCo as an observer.
Each of those is workable. None of them is workable if you invent the rule in month four. For dual-role work, read When two co-CEOs share one scorecard.
Continue a confidential conversation on LinusMurphy.com.
