A CISO who coaches draws on experience. A professional coach draws on methodology and skilled inquiry. Both have value — but they are not interchangeable. The distinction matters when the goal is transformation.
A mentor shares what worked for them. A coach helps you develop what will work for you. For CISOs facing challenges that don't fit someone else's playbook, knowing which you need is itself a leadership decision.
A general coach may be skilled. A CISO-specific professional coach is skilled but starts from shared experience — the isolation, the translation problem, the credibility gap at the executive table — and hits the ground running.