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# Leaders By Design: An Executive Advisory and Coaching firm dedicated to helping Senior Executives achieve their personal and professional goals.

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://leaders-by-design.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Why Co-Leadership Between Men and Women Outperforms Solo Leadership](https://leaders-by-design.com/co-leadership-outperforms/): Most senior leaders have a theory about what makes a great executive team: complementary skills, shared values, healthy debate. The usual answers. What’s actually missing is co-leadership — the deliberate integration of the different cognitive styles men and women bring to leadership. Not a mandate. Not a talking point. A performance strategy. The organizations that build it consistently outperform the ones that don’t.
- [What the Neuroscience of Leadership Actually Shows](https://leaders-by-design.com/neuroscience-men-women-leadership/): Most leadership conversations about men and women get the question wrong. They start with stereotypes and end with policies. The neuroscience starts somewhere different — with data on how men and women actually perform, where the real gaps are, and what's driving them. Eleven years of research with more than 1,500 executives tells a clear story. The organizations that act on it consistently outperform those that don't.
- [Strategic Communication Strategies in Male-Dominated Organizations](https://leaders-by-design.com/strategic-communication-male-dominated-organizations/): At the highest levels of leadership, communication isn't just about being heard — it's about who shapes strategy, who gets credit, and who gets the next seat at the table. Here's what I've learned working with senior executive women who are done leaving that to chance.
- [Why Assertive Women Get Penalized at Work — And What to Do About It](https://leaders-by-design.com/why-assertive-women-get-penalized-at-work/): I've spent decades watching talented senior women second-guess themselves into strategic paralysis — not because they lacked confidence, but because the rules are stacked against them. In this post, I name the traps, share strategies I've found effective, and offer a more useful reframe than trying to please everyone in the room.
- [DISC Leadership Styles](https://leaders-by-design.com/disc-leadership-styles-executive-performance/): Most senior executives can describe how they lead. Very few can describe how they lead when things go wrong — and that gap is where decisions get distorted, teams stop pushing back, and leadership effectiveness quietly erodes. The style that carried you to the C-suite has a shadow side, and at the top, that shadow side is almost always what limits what you build next.
- [The Personality Traits That Separate Good Leaders From Great Ones](https://leaders-by-design.com/personality-traits-effective-leaders/): The traits that got you to the C-suite aren't always the ones that keep you effective there — and in my experience, the gap shows up in three specific places most senior leaders would rather not examine. I'll show you exactly where to look.
- [The Mind’s Interpretation: How Attention and Mindfulness Shape Executive Performance](https://leaders-by-design.com/cultivating-leaders-mindfulness-executive-performance/): Your brain reacts 165 milliseconds before your conscious mind catches up. For senior executives, that gap is where leadership is won or lost. In this installment of Cultivating Leaders, I explore how attention, mindfulness, and the science of reframing give leaders access to their best judgment precisely when pressure is highest.
- [Why Women Struggle to Be Heard in Executive Meetings](https://leaders-by-design.com/why-women-struggle-to-be-heard-in-executive-meetings/): Executive meetings have an architecture — one built over decades around the communication norms of male-dominated hierarchies. The rules are largely unwritten. But they are real. And they systematically disadvantage the way many senior women naturally communicate. Women who consistently get heard in high-stakes rooms aren't louder or more aggressive. They're more strategically positioned.
- [Self-Awareness: The Foundation of Leadership](https://leaders-by-design.com/leadership-self-awareness-competitive-advantage/): Even the most accomplished executives plateau without self-awareness. Blind spots, ego protection, and low feedback tolerance quietly erode authority. In this installment of Cultivating Leaders, I explore why executive self-awareness is the true competitive advantage — and how structured leadership coaching helps senior leaders confront blind spots before they become derailments.
- [Beyond the Confidence Gap: Executive Coaching & Strategic Mentoring for Women Leaders](https://leaders-by-design.com/executive-coaching-women-executives-mentoring/): Women executives need more than confidence—they need strategic mentorship. Learn how executive coaching helps senior women leaders identify the right mentors, expand influence, and accelerate advancement at the highest levels of leadership.
- [Cultivating Leaders, Part I: Emotional Intelligence](https://leaders-by-design.com/cultivating-leaders-emotional-intelligence/): For C-suite executives, the ability to regulate emotion, manage fear, and influence others ethically is what separates positional authority from true leadership effectiveness. In today’s high-pressure environments, emotional intelligence is a decisive performance advantage.
- [The Confidence Gap Holding Back Women at the Executive Level](https://leaders-by-design.com/confidence-gap-holding-women-executives-back/): Impostor syndrome is a leadership challenge many women are taught to carry. Molly Shepard explores why self-doubt persists at senior levels and how women can reclaim authority by owning their accomplishments, seeking feedback, and leading from their proven strengths.
- [Looking Back, Leading Forward](https://leaders-by-design.com/looking-back-leading-forward/): Our 2025 leadership insights explore empathy, CEO readiness, workplace bullying, and the leadership behaviors that shape culture, accountability, and long-term performance.
- [Building Your Next CEO: A Case Study in Empathy-Driven Succession Planning](https://leaders-by-design.com/empathy-driven-succession-planning-case-study/): This case study shows how a high-performing CFO became CEO by developing empathy and stronger interpersonal leadership. It demonstrates why companies committed to succession planning invest in human-centered leadership skills early and consistently.
- [The Leadership Capacity Companies Overlook](https://leaders-by-design.com/empathy-in-leadership-for-succession-pipelines/): Empathy has become a critical capability for companies developing future leaders. We explain why empathy is now essential for high-performing executives and how organizations that prioritize it build stronger cultures, more collaborative teams, and healthier leadership pipelines.
- [The Six CEO Fundamentals](https://leaders-by-design.com/the-six-ceo-fundamentals/): Executives become CEOs by mastering more than business strategy — they develop personal leadership fundamentals. Discover the six core capacities that define CEO readiness and learn how organizations can cultivate leaders who lead with balance, integrity, and vision.
- [Elevate Your Leadership: Why Developing Yourself Strengthens Your Organization](https://leaders-by-design.com/elevate-your-leadership-strengthen-your-organization/): Leadership development isn’t about fixing weaknesses — it’s about expanding awareness and strengthening organizational success. I explore why the best leaders stay coachable, how personal growth improves company culture, and why investing in leadership development pays off across the organization.
- [Adaptive Leadership](https://leaders-by-design.com/adaptive-leadership/): Effective leaders adapt seamlessly between clarity and compassion — grounding their communication in purpose, listening as intently as they lead, and using presence to connect rather than command. This integration of strength and empathy fosters trust, drives performance, and defines a leader’s true strategic presence.
- [Women’s Leadership Communication Strategies: Claiming Your Voice and Leadership Presence](https://leaders-by-design.com/communication-strategies-women-leaders-leadership-presence/): In this second installment on communication strategies for women leaders, I share practical ways to project authority, maintain composure, and elevate your leadership presence.
- [Women’s Leadership Communication Strategies: Deliver the Right Message](https://leaders-by-design.com/communication-strategies-for-women-leaders/): Strong leadership starts with strong communication. Learn practical strategies for women in leadership to project confidence, command attention, and build influence.
- [Seven Enduring Fundamentals for Senior Leadership](https://leaders-by-design.com/seven-enduring-fundamentals-for-senior-leadership/): In the C-suite, mastery opens doors — but character sustains influence. These seven enduring fundamentals guide senior leaders to stay relevant, credible, and trusted amid rapid change and rising expectations.
- [From a Pothole to the Whole City — And to Leadership Development](https://leaders-by-design.com/from-a-pothole-to-the-whole-city-and-to-leadership-development/): Stop thinking about problems in isolation and start building solutions that strengthen the whole.
- [Identifying the Hidden Signs of Workplace Bullying — A Guide for Senior Executives](https://leaders-by-design.com/identifying-the-hidden-signs-of-workplace-bullying/): Effective leaders don’t wait for problems to escalate; they recognize the warning signs early and take action before trust erodes and talent leaves.
- [Four Types of Workplace Bullying](https://leaders-by-design.com/four-types-of-workplace-bullying/): Workplace bullies come in many forms — and all undermine culture, performance, and trust. In this post, we break down four common types of bullies leaders need to recognize to protect their people and build stronger, healthier organizations.
- [The True Cost of Workplace Bullying](https://leaders-by-design.com/true-cost-of-workplace-bullying/): Workplace bullying undermines employee wellbeing, trust, and innovation while driving turnover, absenteeism, and litigation risks. Addressing bullying is not just an HR task — it is a critical leadership responsibility to protect performance and culture.
- [Confronting Workplace Bullying: A Strategic Imperative for Senior Leaders](https://leaders-by-design.com/confronting-workplace-bullying-senior-leaders/): Workplace bullying is a hidden but serious threat to organizational health, undermining trust, productivity, and innovation while inflicting lasting harm on employees. Senior leaders must take visible, strategic action to eliminate bullying and create a culture grounded in respect, empathy, and accountability.
- [Generative Thinking: The Key to Strategic Governance for Boards](https://leaders-by-design.com/generative-thinking-the-key-to-strategic-governance-for-boards/): Strategic governance often gets sidelined by fiduciary oversight—but generative thinking can help boards refocus. This article explores how CEOs and directors can build shared governance, challenge assumptions, and generate better ideas to strengthen strategic leadership and board alignment.
- [Building Trust in Initial Client Meetings](https://leaders-by-design.com/building-trust-in-initial-client-meetings/): Executive coach and author Peter J. Dean, Ph.D., explains how neuroscience can improve first client meetings by demonstrating how the brain quickly assesses trust. Small cues—like tone and body language—can trigger either safety or threat responses. Executives who create psychological safety from the outset are more likely to build trust and win business.
- [How to Give Effective Feedback](https://leaders-by-design.com/how-to-give-effective-feedback/): Fostering a culture of constructive feedback is essential for leaders who want to drive both personal growth and organizational success.
- [Leaders Never Stop Learning](https://leaders-by-design.com/leaders-never-stop-learning/): Great leaders must continually learn—no matter how experienced—to stay effective and responsive as their responsibilities grow. To ensure learning isn’t left to chance, a deliberate leadership strategy should intentionally combine training, development, and education.
- [5 Strategies for Leaders to Foster Personal Worth in the Workplace](https://leaders-by-design.com/foster-personal-worth-to-enhance-organizational-culture/): Effective leaders enhance organizational culture by fostering personal worth. By practicing self-awareness, recognition, integrity, and empathy, executives can create a positive, high-performing environment that drives both individual and organizational success.
- [The 5 Fundamentals of Leadership Personality](https://leaders-by-design.com/the-5-fundamentals-of-leadership-personality/): By leveraging psychology, executive coaches help leaders cultivate discipline, empathy, and innovation, ensuring long-term success in an evolving business landscape.
- [Balancing the Use of the Five Sources of Power](https://leaders-by-design.com/balancing-the-five-sources-of-leadership-power/): Effective leaders know that influence isn’t just about authority—it’s about how you communicate and connect. Mastering the five sources of power can enhance your leadership presence, improve relationships with employees and clients, and drive business success.
- [Three Critical Elements of Charismatic Influence](https://leaders-by-design.com/three-critical-elements-of-charismatic-influence/): Charisma can be learned. Start by being mindful of your presence when talking to others. Charisma requires practicing certain skills that make others feel intelligent, impressive and interesting. Anyone can add these skills to their behavior.
- [So You’re a Leader – Are You Coachable?](https://leaders-by-design.com/how-to-be-a-coachable-leader/): Coachable executives stand out through emotional intelligence, integrity, and collaboration. They invest in their growth while inspiring those around them, embracing change with a long-term vision and a commitment to continuous improvement.
- [The Key to Transforming CFOs into CEOs](https://leaders-by-design.com/transforming-cfos-into-ceos/): A case study on empathy in leadership. An essential behavior associated with professional success and personal fulfillment for CFOs transitioning into a CEO role is the practice of empathy.
- [How to Deal with the Office Bully](https://leaders-by-design.com/how-to-deal-with-the-office-bully/): Workplace bullying affects tens of millions of workers — and passive responses make it worse. In this first post of the Bully-Proof Workplace series, Molly Shepard and Peter Dean introduce the four types of bullies (the Belier, Blocker, Braggart, and Brute) and lay out the foundational steps every target and leader needs before confronting one.
- [Business Leaders – Row All in the Same Boat](https://leaders-by-design.com/business-leaders-row-all-in-the-same-boat/): Leadership coach Peter Dean looks to rowing—and the book "The Boys in a Boat"—to explain what's more important for success, individual stars or the team.

## Pages
- [The Bully-Proof Workplace](https://leaders-by-design.com/bully-proof-workplace/): We wrote The Bully-Proof Workplace because, after more than three decades coaching CEOs, boards, and senior executives, we kept seeing the same crisis play out in corner offices, boardrooms, and leadership teams: workplace bullying was eroding culture, destroying talent, and quietly devastating bottom lines — while leaders either looked away or had no tools to act.
- [Cultivating Leaders](https://leaders-by-design.com/cultivating-leaders/): 7
- [Breaking Into the Boys’ Club](https://leaders-by-design.com/breaking-into-the-boys-club/): In Breaking Into the Boys' Club, executive coach Molly D. Shepard draws on decades of experience helping women in executive leadership navigate — and reshape — the unwritten rules of corporate culture. This blog series brings those hard-won insights to life one chapter at a time.
- [Executive Coaching FAQs](https://leaders-by-design.com/executive-coaching-faqs/): Executive coaching is no longer just an individual development tool — it’s a strategic investment in organizational performance. For boards, CHROs, and senior leaders, the question isn’t if coaching works, but how it can best accelerate leadership growth, strengthen succession pipelines, and ensure C-suite leaders are equipped to navigate today’s complexity. These FAQs are designed to help organizations and executives understand how our engagements work, what makes them successful, and how to maximize their impact—so leadership growth translates directly into stronger business outcomes.
- [Career Coaching](https://leaders-by-design.com/career-coaching/): At the senior level, a career transition—planned or unexpected—requires more than sending out résumés; it calls for reassessing strengths, goals, and personal brand. Leaders By Design provides tailored coaching to help executives clarify their direction, refine their messaging, and approach the job market with confidence and a clear plan for their next role.
- [Leadership Coaching](https://leaders-by-design.com/leadership-coaching/): It’s about shaping direction, inspiring performance, and delivering results under constant scrutiny. The pressure is immense, the stakes are high, and the margin for error is narrow. In this environment, even the most seasoned executives benefit from a confidential, strategic partnership that sharpens thinking and enhances impact.
- [Onboarding Coaching](https://leaders-by-design.com/onboarding-coaching/): Our onboarding coaching helps you clarify business imperatives, build trusted relationships with key stakeholders, and establish early wins without sacrificing long-term positioning. We serve as your strategic thought partner, providing confidential, objective guidance as you assess risks, communicate priorities, and cultivate executive presence in your new role.
- [Board Governance Strategies](https://leaders-by-design.com/board-governance-strategies/): A strong, strategically aligned board partnership can accelerate organizational success, while a misaligned one can slow progress and drain momentum. That’s why developing trusted, effective relationships with your board chairperson and individual board members is one of the most critical aspects of your role.
- [Executive Coaching Services](https://leaders-by-design.com/executive-coaching-services/): As executives rise in an organization, they may become increasingly insulated from candid feedback. Yet, the most effective leaders actively seek input from trusted peers, HR partners, or executive coaches to sharpen their impact, expand their perspective, and lead with greater clarity, agility, and purpose.
- [Books by Molly Shepard, MS, MSM](https://leaders-by-design.com/books-by-molly-shepard/): As Founder and CEO of The Leader's Edge and Chairman, President, and Co-founder of Manchester Inc.—formerly one of the world’s largest career development consulting firms—she has counseled thousands of executives through high-stakes transitions and leadership growth. A seasoned board director and civic leader, Molly has held prominent roles with organizations such as the United Way, WHYY, and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. She is also the author of five books on leadership and professional advancement, and a sought-after keynote speaker known for her insights on executive presence, strategic influence, and organizational impact.
- [News from Leaders By Design](https://leaders-by-design.com/news/)
- [Contact Us](https://leaders-by-design.com/contact-us/): Strategic, research-driven, and deeply personalized — our coaching is built for executives ready to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and impact. Whether you're navigating a leadership transition, strengthening board relationships, or preparing your next generation of C-suite talent, Peter J. Dean, Ph.D. and Molly D. Shepard are ready to help. Fill out the form below and we'll be in touch.
- [Books by Peter J. Dean, MS, Ph.D.](https://leaders-by-design.com/books-by-peter-j-dean/): As the Founder of Leaders By Design, Peter grounds his coaching in the latest leadership research and proven practices in character-based leadership. Since 1999, Peter has authored numerous books on executive leadership, offering strategic insight to leaders navigating today’s fast-paced and high-stakes environments. His work spans more than a dozen countries and includes advisory roles with global organizations such as Microsoft, DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, and the U.S. Department of Energy. A professor at major universities and former lecturer at The Wharton School and the Fels Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, Peter combines academic rigor with real-world leadership acumen to drive transformative impact.
- [Peter J. Dean, MS, Ph.D.](https://leaders-by-design.com/peter-j-dean/): With over 30 years of industry experience, Peter—founder of Leaders By Design—provides executive coaching and consulting grounded in the latest leadership research and best practices in leadership development. He works closely with C-suite executives and Boards to navigate the challenges and opportunities of leading in today’s complex global workplaces, with a focus on managing transitions and driving effective change.
- [Homepage](https://leaders-by-design.com/): Molly D. Shepard, Partner at Leaders By Design, is a dynamic leader with over 30 years of empowering executives and transforming organizations. With a wealth of experience in leadership development, executive coaching, and career strategy, Molly has dedicated her career to guiding leaders to unlock their full potential and achieve meaningful impact. A sought-after keynote speaker and moderator, she inspires audiences with her forward-thinking insights and commitment to creating lasting change. Passionately advocating for senior women in business, Molly has made it her mission to break down barriers, amplify voices, and create pathways for women to rise, thrive, and lead with confidence and purpose at the highest levels.
- [Molly D. Shepard, MS, MSM](https://leaders-by-design.com/molly-shepard/): Molly is also the author of five books, including The Bully-Proof Workplace, written in partnership with Peter Dean (2017). Her other works include Breaking Into The Boys’ Club (3rd Edition in 2022) focused on the roadblocks that keep women from reaching the top of the corporate ladder; Payback (2025), a fictional novel which follows three ambitious young women chasing their professional dreams in late twentieth-century corporate America; Preparing For Your Prime Time (2012), a guide for women boomers to help them prepare for a fulfilling retirement; and Stop Whining and Start Winning (2005). In addition, she was a contributing author to The Coachable Leader: What Future Executives Need to Know Today (2012). Click here for a full list of books by Molly D. Shepard.