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 Hack Your Development with an AI Coach: 3 Coaching Apps for Personal Growth
From optimizing daily tasks to increasing productivity, AI is transforming the way we approach many aspects of our professional and personal lives. In this post, explore how AI is reshaping the way we approach growth and learning through an in-depth review of three personalized coaching apps that can support your self-improvement goals.
12 Best Coaching Books for Leaders
Explore 12 insightful books that can shift your approach to coaching and leadership. Whether you're a seasoned coach or a professional who is looking for coaching tips, these books offer practical advice on how to build a coaching habit.
10 Impactful Coaching Questions for Deeper Self-Reflection
In today's fast-paced world, reflection often takes a backseat to the hustle. When was the last time you paused to reflect deeply on how you think, not just what you do? In this post, we'll explore 10 impactful coaching questions that go beyond surface-level thinking, inviting you to examine the beliefs, assumptions, and patterns driving your actions.
7 Simple Self-Reflection Tools You Can Use in 10 Minutes or Less
Self-reflection sounds great, but finding the time feels impossible, right?
That's why I’m sharing 7 simple reflection exercises – like the Gratitude Walk and the Resilient Reframe – that take 10 minutes or less. Learn how to easily build self-awareness and manage stress, even on your busiest days.
Find your simple starting point here.
Top 10 Free Resources to Build Your Leadership Skills
Want to become a better leader without spending a dime? In this post, we’ve rounded up 10 top free resources that will actually make a difference.
Whether it’s gaining insights through assessments, learning from world-class leaders via podcasts, or diving into research-backed courses, these tools are designed to challenge your thinking and accelerate your leadership growth. No fluff, just practical resources to help you lead with purpose and make a greater impact.
Energy Mapping for Teams: A Practical Working Genius Exercise
We often focus on managing our time, but what if the real key to sustainable productivity lies in managing your energy? Every task you take on either fuels you or drains you, and the difference between thriving and burning out often comes down to how well you align your work with your natural strengths. In this post, we’ll explore practical strategies for recognizing energy patterns, rebalancing workloads, and using tools like the Working Genius model to make smarter decisions about work.
10 Best Coaching Questions to Spark a Breakthrough
Push past limitations and open the door to new possibilities with these 10 powerful coaching questions to help break through barriers. Whether you're a coach, a leader, or just someone looking for deeper insights, these questions will inspire clarity, creativity, and actionable steps.
Swap Your Vision Board for a Values Board with this Step-by-Step Guide
Instead of a traditional vision board, why not create a Values Board? This step-by-step guide will show you how to craft a visual representation of the principles that truly drive you, helping you make decisions and take action rooted in what matters most.
How to Do a Personal SWOT Analysis: A Reflective Year-End Exercise for Intentional Growth
Discover how a SWOT analysis can help you reflect on the past year, identify strengths and weaknesses, and set powerful intentions for the future. Learn the tools for deeper analysis and unlock your full potential in the year ahead.
5 Gratitude Shifts to Reframe your Perspective
Discover five simple yet powerful gratitude shifts that can reframe your thinking and help you cultivate a more positive outlook. Learn how these mindset shifts, grounded in research, can unlock new possibilities in your life and enhance your emotional well-being.
Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart: A Must-Read for Emotional Intelligence
Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart is a profound exploration of human emotions that offers valuable insights for individuals, leaders, and coaches alike. In this book review I cover key takeaways, memorable quotes, and deep dive questions.
From Chaos to Cohesion: How the 6 Types of Working Genius Can Transform Your Team
The Six Types of Working Genius offers us practical insight into how to keep momentum flowing and achieve optimal results through three critical phases of teamwork:
ideation
evaluation
execution
If you are a team leader or you supervise (or coach) team leaders, I recommend to check out the Working Genius as a dynamic approach to building a healthy, thriving team. In this post, I’m going to describe each genius and explore how teams can practically apply this tool to enhance teamwork and productivity.
20 Strengths-Based Coaching Questions to Inspire Hope & Resilience
Feeling stuck in a rut? Facing a challenge that seems insurmountable? Or, perhaps you’re managing or coaching someone who needs a boost of energy or confidence? Taking a strengths-based approach through asking positive questions offers a powerful tool to shift negative perspectives and cultivate hope and resilience in the face of challenges.
4 Strengths-Based Strategies to Support Your Team
The rewards of a strengths-based team are undeniable, but building this positive team culture takes time and dedication. While it requires an upfront investment, the payoffs are compelling. By prioritizing strengths development, you're fostering a more engaged workforce, which leads to many bottom-line increases, including a thriving and fulfilling work environment.
In this blog post, I will cover four ways to support your team members with a strengths-based approach: job crafting strategies, individual development plans, team building, and giving feedback.
5 Must-Reads for Middle Managers
Middle managers often occupy a precarious space between supporting the strategic vision of upper management and directing the daily realities. This can lead to conflicting priorities and the feeling of being squeezed from both sides.
So, how can you rise to the challenge and lead effectively from the middle? We've compiled a list of must-read books that will equip you with strategies to more confidently lead in all directions.
Mindset Mastery: 5 Coaching Techniques to Transform Your Thinking
Discover five powerful coaching strategies that you can use to cultivate a growth mindset in yourself, clients, or colleagues. Learn practical tips to challenge your assumptions, reframe negativity, and embrace possibility.
Hitting the Reset Button: How to Reinvent Your Career in 5 Steps
Feeling stuck in a dead-end job? If so, you're not alone. Many people reach a point where their careers no longer spark joy (or even a flicker of interest). However, making a change - even if there’s a promise of a more engaging career on the other side - can be an overwhelming endeavor. The RESET method described in this post will provide you with a structured, strategic process to navigate a courageous journey towards a more fulfilling career.
4 Questions to Build Your Confidence
When you find yourself lacking confidence, this state of lower confidence does not need to define you or derail you. In fact, confidence can be learned, practiced, reset, and refined.
The four questions here provide a simple but streamlined guide to helping you develop stronger confidence for a new task, an unfamiliar situation, an unexpected transition, or a challenging role.
Mapping Your Path to Personal Growth: Navigating the Five Stages of Boyatzis' Intentional Change Theory — Plus 10 Coaching Questions
In the pursuit of personal and professional development, understanding what we should expect in a change process, and what can do to facilitate more sustainable change is critical. Intentional Change Theory, established by thought leader Richard Boyatzis, outlines five stages that create a pathway for you to pursue when intentionally seeking to bring about positive transformation in your life.
How to Choose Your Word of the Year
In the hustle of daily life with constant competing commitments, being intentional in your growth requires discipline and persistence. One simple practice that can increase your intentionality throughout the ebb and flow of the New Year is to select a word of the year.
Once chosen, your word of the year can help to inspire clarity, encourage a positive mindset, and increase momentum for your growth. So, how do you find a word that will serve as your inspiration? Read on for three key strategies to keep in mind.
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.
Get the Complete Toolkit to Inspire Growth & Change
Get my free 60-page ebook featuring my 8-step process for growth and 80 powerful questions for coaching or reflection - designed for leaders, coaches, & personal growth enthusiasts.
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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.

