Leadership Development Articles for Growth-Minded Leaders

Practical, research-backed articles on leadership coaching, team development, strengths, and resilience from Dr. Bethany Peters, a leadership professor and professional coach. Browse by topic below, or join 3,000+ professionals who receive The Coaching Mindset and get a free copy of Coaching for Change when you subscribe.

 

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Dr. Bethany Peters, 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.

Develop Enduring Habits [Step 7]

When derailers and distractors threaten my resolve, I have to intentionally remember the importance of creating consistent habits, that this is the stage in which something you do with devotion literally becomes a part of who you are.

What barriers keep you from building sustainable habits?

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Identify Winning Strategies [Step 6]

What if experimentation — to find the right combination of strategies — is an essential part of growth and change in our personal and professional lives? What if one reason we often get derailed is because we are stuck on a strategy that isn’t working?

Which combination of strategies will empower you to successfully achieve your growth goals?

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Discover New Perspective [Step 5]

If you are eager for progress, it may seem natural to launch into a specific action plan directly after you have identified your growth gaps and goals. However, realize that there may be multiple strategies that would lead to the fulfillment of your vision.

What new perspective could empower your plan for growth?

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Clarify Your Growth Goals

I usually know when I need to grow or change in a specific area. The signs are typically clear: I’m continually stressed out, or causing someone else to be stressed out. Or, I am deeply dissatisfied, frustrated, or not seeing progress. For me, recognizing the need for change is the easy part. The harder part is to get really clear about exactly what my specific growth gaps are.

How do you get clarity about the gaps between where you are now and where you want to be?

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Build Your Community [Step 3]

In your community of friends, family, and colleagues, who inspires you to develop into the best version of yourself?  Who is willing to give you honest feedback, support your growth, and keep you motivated? 

When I think back on the most profound growth I have experienced, I simultaneously recall the community that surrounded me in those critical moments – friends, family, classmates, or colleagues who invested in my development.

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Assess Your Mindset [Step 2]

I can recall countless visions that I have had for personal or professional growth, yet at some point my follow-through faltered. Consider, for example, the classic New Year’s resolutions that many of us set faithfully every year. Perhaps you start out with a new yoga mat, water bottle and running shoes. But three weeks later you're back to the old routines, tethered to your desk, and hunched over a keyboard, while your yoga mat gets buried in a corner of your office…

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Seven Steps to Sustainable Change

Think of your most recent experience building a new habit. How did it go? What was most difficult about it making a new change successful? Was it the inertia of old routines? The impossibility of imagining something new for yourself? Or the terror of possible failure?

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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.

Mastermind Toolkit: How to Start Your Own Mastermind Group
$24.99

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

100 Coaching Questions for Leaders: An Essential Guide
$24.99

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

The Mindset Reset Journal
$19.99

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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