Leadership Development Articles with a Coaching Mindset
Browse the practical, research-backed articles on a variety of leadership development topics from Dr. Bethany Peters, a leadership professor and professionally certified coach.
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Dr. Bethany Peters, Ph.D., PCC
With over 20 years of experience in leadership development and a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, I take a coach approach to help leaders and teams thrive. As an expert thought partner, I facilitate clarity, inspire creative thinking, and help growth-minded professionals overcome barriers to make meaningful progress. Meet Bethany.
How to Start Job Crafting: 5 Coaching Questions to Redesign Your Role
What part of your work would you reshape if you could?
Job crafting is the research-backed practice of redesigning your current role, its tasks, relationships, and meaning, to fit your strengths and energy more closely; no new job required.
Here are five coaching questions and job crafting examples, to help you start redesigning the role you already have.
The Idea Implementation Gap: Why Teams Struggle to Execute
Your team isn't short on ideas. If anything, you have too many — sticky notes from last quarter's offsite, shared docs full of unfinished initiatives, promising directions that quietly disappear before they're road-ready. The pattern has a name: the idea implementation gap.
It's the space where creative energy stalls before becoming completed results, and it's one of the most common reasons capable teams underperform. Discover three hidden causes behind stalled ideas, a simple diagnostic to identify where your team gets stuck, and ten coaching questions to help you close the gap.
How Your CliftonStrengths Domain Shapes Your Leadership Style (Plus Coaching Questions for Each)
Every leader brings a different kind of energy to their team. Some lead by getting things done. Others lead by rallying people, building deep connections, or thinking strategically about what's next.
the four CliftonStrengths dominant domains can help you identify your natural leadership pattern — and these coaching questions will help you apply that awareness with greater intention.
12 Coaching Questions for a Strategic Leadership Reset
Feeling stretched thin in your leadership role? Sometimes the best way to move forward is to pause, reflect, and reset.
These 12 coaching questions are designed to help strategic leaders clarify priorities, uncover blind spots, and refocus on what truly drives impact. Use them as a structured reset to make smarter decisions, strengthen your team, and lead with confidence.
CliftonStrengths vs. Working Genius: The Best Way to Use Them Together
While CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) uncovers your deep-seated talents and "internal wiring," Working Genius identifies exactly where you thrive in the stages of a project.
In this thoughtful comparison, we’ll break down the core similarities and differences between these two powerful assessments and show you the best ways to use them together.
5 Types of Journaling When You Don't Know Where to Start
You know journaling could help—you've read the research, heard the recommendations, maybe you’ve even bought the perfect journal. But when you sit down with that blank page, you freeze up. Or despite getting started, you just can’t stay motivated to stick with it.
In this post, we will cover five distinct approaches to journaling and when to apply each type, with example prompts for each.
The Science Behind Self-Reflection: What Happens in Your Brain When You Journal
What if 15 minutes of writing could quiet your overactive mind, help you make sense of difficult experiences, and free up mental space you didn't know you were losing?
Research shows that expressive writing engages three distinct brain processes. Discover the science-backed three-step process, why processing hard emotions builds resilience, and a practical protocol you can start using today.
Swap your New Year's Resolution for a Strategic Reset (With these 6 Coaching Questions)
Most New Year's resolutions fail by February—not because you lack willpower, but because resolutions are designed to fail. The word itself implies a binary contract: keep it or break it…
Discover why the science supports resets over resolutions—plus 6 coaching questions to design your own.
The Subtle Stressors Undermining Your Leadership Stability (and 10 Coaching Questions to Help You Recenter)
From adrenaline-driven hustle to blurred boundaries, subtle stressors can quietly erode your focus, values, and sense of purpose. This guide walks you through 10 common leadership stressors and offers practical coaching questions to help you recenter, regain energy, and lead with clarity and intention.
The Quiet Questions That Shape Resilient Leadership
Leadership comes with constant pressures: endless decisions, competing priorities, and a nonstop flow of urgent demands. Yet research shows that the most resilient leaders are those who intentionally cultivate their inner life—the practices that allow them to pause, reflect, and act with clarity.
In this post, we introduce nine compelling questions that help leaders assess where they are, where they may be stretched too thin, and how they can begin to lead from a place of alignment, focus, and sustainable impact.
Why You Need a Strategic Solo Leadership Retreat (and 3 Coaching Exercises to Do When You Get There)
Your best decisions don’t happen in the chaos of your inbox—they happen in quiet, intentional reflection. A solo leadership retreat gives you the space to think deeply, gain perspective, and return to work sharper, clearer, and more aligned. This post walks you through why it matters and how to structure your retreat for impact.
Are you growing by chance or by choice? Use The Growth Zone Quiz as your starting point for intentional growth.
What if you could measure your actual readiness for growth—not just your skills, but the two forces that determine whether meaningful change will stick: Challenge and Confidence? Find your Growth Zone and start designing your development instead of leaving it to chance.
How to Practice Growth by Design: 7 Books That Redefine Your Development
Intentional growth doesn't happen by accident. In a world of constant demands and distractions, it's easy to get stuck in a reactive cycle, focusing only on the urgent tasks in front of us while our long-term development stalls.
To help you reframe how you approach growth, I’ve curated a list of seven essential books that provide the science-backed frameworks and practical applications you need to approach your growth with greater intentionality.
The Brain Science Behind the Comfort Zone — Plus 9 Coaching Questions to Push Beyond It
Your brain loves predictability—and that’s why staying in your comfort zone feels so good. But what if that same comfort is quietly holding you back?
In this post, we’ll explore the science behind why the brain resists change, how fear, learning, and growth unfold as stages, and 9 coaching questions to help you move beyond comfort with clarity and confidence.
Lead Like a Lazy Genius: 9 Coaching Questions to Simplify Your Work
Feeling overwhelmed by endless decisions, projects, and priorities? Learn how to lead like a Lazy Genius with 9 practical coaching questions that help you focus on what truly matters and protect your energy for high-impact work.
Beyond Forming and Storming: A Leader's Guide to People-First Team Development
Every team faces moments of tension, silence, and breakthrough—but these aren’t random. They’re part of a predictable growth journey.
Learn how a people-first approach, grounded in Tuckman’s stages of team development, can help you read the emotional terrain and lead your team with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
More Than Words: 12 Visually Rich Books To Inspire Creative Thinking
Discover 12 visually rich and inspiring books that will spark your creativity and help you cultivate a growth mindset. Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or lifelong learner, this carefully curated list offers practical tools, innovative ideas, and fresh perspectives to fuel your personal and professional growth.
This energizing list of books combine thoughtful content with captivating visuals to keep your imagination engaged and your mindset expanding.
How to Use Your Working Genius Results: 6 Practical Ways
You took the Working Genius assessment — now what? This post goes beyond the basics to show you six practical ways to actually use your results.
Whether you're looking to prevent burnout, redesign your role, improve team meetings, or collaborate more effectively, these strategies will help you turn insight into action.
Feeling Stuck on a Difficult Decision? These 10 Questions Will Help You Move Forward.
Feeling stuck on a big decision? This post offers 10 powerful coaching questions to help you slow down, reflect, and move forward with clarity and confidence. Each question is grounded in proven decision-making frameworks like WRAP, the OODA Loop, and the Regret Minimization Framework—designed to help you think strategically and choose wisely, even in moments of uncertainty.
From Prompts to Progress: How to Use ChatGPT as your Life & Leadership Coach
Despite all of the innovation, ChatGPT probably won’t ever fully replace the power of real human connection. But it can be a strategic companion for self-reflection, clarity, and creative thinking—especially when you’re between coaching sessions, working solo, or just need a fresh perspective fast.
Discover how better prompts can turn AI into a powerful reflection partner. This guide walks you through practical strategies, specific life and leadership coaching prompts to help you get started.
The Coaching Design Co.Practical tools to put the ideas to work
Guides, journals, and coaching question sets that turn what you read here into what you do next.
Starting your own mastermind group is a powerful way to bring together like-minded individuals for growth, support, and shared learning. But without a clear mastermind agenda, ground rules, and facilitator structure, the logistics can quickly become overwhelming.
That’s where this How to Start Your Own Mastermind: The Complete Guide comes in—a 25+ page mastermind toolkit with everything you need to run your group with confidence.
This comprehensive bundle of templates (25+ page pdf download) is designed to save you time and energy while providing you with everything you need to set up a successful mastermind group. Whether you're a seasoned coach, entrepreneur, or group facilitator, this guide provides all the resources you need to create an impactful and organized mastermind experience.
The package includes:
Facilitator Guidelines: Clear, step-by-step instructions to help you lead your mastermind group with confidence.
New Member Screening Questions: Essential questions to ensure that your group is the right fit for your participants.
New Member Orientation Guide: A helpful guide to onboard new members smoothly and make them feel welcomed.
Group Ground Rules: Establish a solid foundation by setting expectations for a respectful, supportive group dynamic.
Format & Facilitation Tips: Best practices for running your mastermind sessions, including timing, structure, and engagement ideas.
Sample Agenda: A ready-made agenda to get your sessions organized and running smoothly.
Community Building Activities: Fun and effective activities that foster connection and trust within your group.
Goal-Setting Tools: Templates to help your members set clear, actionable goals that they can achieve.
Coaching Tips & Questions: A selection of questions and prompts to help you facilitate productive, thought-provoking discussions.
Mastermind Evaluation Form: A tool to gather valuable feedback from your group to help you continuously improve the mastermind experience.
Canva Templates: Links to free Canva templates like progress trackers and meeting agendas to keep your group organized and engaged.
Recommended Digital Platforms: An overview of some of the most helpful online platforms to support your group, whether you are meeting in person or virtually.
With these templates, you’ll have all the tools you need to create a thriving mastermind group that drives results.
Formatted as an 8.5×11 pdf download with fillable workbook pages. No physical product will be shipped to you.
Customer Review:
“This guide is perfect for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to create a mastermind group without trial and error. It's comprehensive yet concise, making the process feel doable. The time and effort saved by this purchase are substantial. This purchase is priceless for anyone serious about building a successful mastermind group.”
-Alice Horrell, Executive Coach, Cultivating Splendor
Transform Your Leadership Style with 100 Powerful Coaching Questions for Leaders
100 Powerful Coaching Questions for Leaders: Organized into 10 key leadership categories, these coaching questions will help you facilitate insightful conversations, encourage self-reflection, and drive positive change within your team. The categories include:
Self-Awareness: Foster deeper understanding and personal growth.
Productivity: Enhance efficiency and time management.
Decision-Making: Improve judgment and problem-solving skills.
Vision & Strategy: Align individual and team efforts with organizational goals.
Communication & Influence: Strengthen interpersonal skills and impact.
Mentoring & Development: Guide and support the growth of your team members.
Team Building: Cultivate collaboration and high-performing teams.
Managing Stress: Help individuals navigate challenges and maintain well-being.
Change Management: Support team members through transitions and new initiatives.
Managing Performance: Provide constructive feedback and drive improvement.
Essential Coaching Tips and Templates: Learn fundamental coaching skills and immediately implement ready-to-use templates for various coaching conversations.
Coachability Assessment: Understand your team members' readiness for coaching and tailor your approach. This assessment helps you identify where coaching will be most effective.
Goal-Setting Exercise for Leaders: Develop your own coaching goals and create a roadmap for integrating coaching into your leadership style.
10 Inspirational Quote Posters: Stay motivated with these inspirational quote posters designed to support your growth as a coaching leader.
Who is this toolkit for?
New leaders looking to build a strong foundation in leadership coaching skills.
Experienced leaders wanting to enhance their coaching abilities and adopt a more coach-like leadership style.
Managers transitioning into broader leadership roles who need a complete guide to coaching their teams.
HR professionals and leadership development trainers seeking valuable coaching resources for their programs.
Coaches who specialize in leadership coaching.
Anyone who believes in the power of employee development and fostering a growth mindset.
This is a digital download, formatted as a PDF file. No physical item will be shipped to you.
“This is a practical tool for leaders who want to grow in curiosity and connection with their team. The workbook is clear on its purpose, offering both direction on developing a coaching mindset and a practical path for applying coaching questions in leadership—whether in everyday conversations or specific situations. The 100 questions will fill your coaching toolbox, and the reflection work creates space to lead your team with authentic invitations to grow together. Best of all, it doesn't feel like one more thing on a full leadership plate—it feels like a tool that makes leadership easier.” — Tonia M., Program Manager
There's a particular kind of fatigue that comes from leading without a pause.
Your patterns harden. Your boundaries blur. Habits that once served you start running you. The pace continues, but somewhere along the way, your alignment slips.
The Mindset Reset Journal is a 30-day reflection practice designed for when your leadership needs a reset
When you feel like you are stuck, fatigued, or living out of alignment with what matters most, this journal offers you a structured developmental arc, built around the Reset Rhythm™ — a four-week sequence that walks you through Sync, Stop, Start, and Sustain.
Each week opens with a guided introduction that names what you're practicing and why and each day offers a focused prompt that moves the work forward.
The Reset Rhythm™:
Week 1 — Sync. Slow your pace and tune in to what's actually present. Practice listening to your thoughts, body, and energy without rushing to fix anything.
Week 2 — Stop. Interrupt the routines, habits, and assumptions that no longer serve you. Practice creating space for intentional choice instead of defaulting to autopilot.
Week 3 — Start. Build new rhythms, boundaries, and habits aligned with your values. Practice designing your daily life from the inside out.
Week 4 — Sustain. Anchor your insights so the shifts last. Practice grounding new patterns into your real, demanding life.
This journal is for you if:
You're leading well but feeling stretched thin across the board
You can name what's draining you, but the patterns keep showing up anyway
You're out of sync with your values and ready to recalibrate
You're running on autopilot and want to recenter how you're showing up
You want a structured reflection practice grounded in real coaching pedagogy
What's inside:
A 30-day guided journaling practice
Four weekly introductions framing the Reset Rhythm™
Daily prompts designed for focused 10-15 minute reflections
Beautifully designed pages with space to write, breathe, and return to
Digital download — print at home or use on your tablet
Please note: This is a digital product. No physical product will be shipped to you.
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WOrk With BethanyReady to turn these ideas into progress?
Book a free 45-minute consultation to talk through your leadership goals, your team, or the next step that feels stuck.

