Your Next Clear Move

You’re probably working hard. But are you noticing what’s actually working? We dig into the overlooked leadership practice of naming your wins—those small, specific moments where you acted with intention, protected capacity, or had the conversation you wanted to avoid. This isn’t ego; it’s evidence. And evidence is what builds the kind of confidence that holds up in complex roles, shifting priorities, and imperfect conditions.

We break down a clear framework for readiness that moves beyond checklists and job titles. You’ll learn how recognizing wins creates proof your brain can trust, how it revea...

Feeling stuck between overthinking and action? We dig into why so many new leaders freeze on decisions and show how clarity—not confidence—creates consistent, smart moves. Rather than chasing the perfect answer, we walk through a values-first approach that filters choices fast, reduces noise, and builds momentum you can sustain.

We start by reframing the real problem: when everything feels urgent, nothing is clear. You’ll learn how to define three core leadership values and the top three priorities that guide your next step, not your entire career. From there, we shift the story on failure. Mistak...

When motivation fades even though you’re doing “all the right things,” the problem isn’t ambition—it’s a lack of clarity. We unpack how to find your personal direction when the path looks foggy, so you can swap busywork for meaningful progress. Drawing on real conversations and practical tools, we explore how to identify what matters most right now, choose your best trade-offs, and reconnect with the work that actually lights you up.

We start with the core questions that sharpen focus: what difference do you want to make, which values guide your choices, and where is you...

Your promotion changed what success looks like. We walk through a clear, practical path for first-time managers to shift from doing the work to leading the work without burning out or micromanaging. If you’ve felt the awkwardness of managing former peers, the pressure of new expectations, or the swirl of self-doubt, this conversation gives you a simple framework to steady your footing and start leading with confidence.

We introduce the Clarity Compass and break it into five parts you can apply right away. First comes purpose: define why you want to lead so you can make de...

Feeling like you’re winging it at work isn’t a sign that you’re not qualified—it’s a sign you need better clarity. We unpack the real engine behind imposter syndrome and share a practical playbook for building confidence that lasts, especially if you’re stepping into a new leadership role or stretching into bigger work. Rather than grinding harder or waiting to “feel ready,” we show how to anchor your decisions in a clear picture of your strengths, value, and role so doubt has nowhere to hide.

We dig into clarity-driven confidence and why language matters...

Feeling spread thin yet expected to lead with calm, focus, and empathy? We explore how to be fully present in high-pressure moments so your team feels seen and your decisions get sharper. Instead of chasing more hacks or apps, we walk through simple habits that quiet the noise and put your attention where it matters most.

We start by challenging the myth of multitasking. Splitting focus drains performance and erodes trust, especially in one-on-ones and tough meetings. You’ll learn to listen like a strategist—tracking tone, word choice, and nonverbal cues—so you gather the context you ne...

When the calendar overflows and every ping feels urgent, the real cost isn’t time—it’s clarity. Debbie Peterson breaks down why overwhelm isn’t just too much to do; it’s too many priorities competing for attention, eroding confidence, and disconnecting you from your center. Drawing on hard-won experience and years of studying the patterns that pull leaders off track, we unpack how to spot your personal signals—racing thoughts, shutdown, overreacting—and use a brief pause to choose a different path.

You’ll learn a simple framework Debbie calls the Power of Three: shrink the time horizon...

What if the most powerful leadership move you make this week takes only five minutes and zero budget? We’re diving into presence—the simple, human skill of giving someone your full attention—and how it becomes the foundation for trust, clarity, and genuine team readiness. Instead of chasing polish or projecting certainty, we focus on the moments that change culture: eyes up, phone down, questions asked with real curiosity.

Across this conversation, we unpack the hidden costs of distraction and the way drift erodes relationships and results. You’ll hear practical cues to catch yourself when your min...

Heavy decisions don’t get easier just because you work harder. They get easier when you get clearer. We dig into how personal clarity becomes the quiet edge leaders use to choose what matters, say no to noise, and act with steady confidence—especially when pressure is high and time is short.

We start by reframing confusion as data and overwhelm as a signal that everything has started to feel equally important. From there, we unpack how internal state drives external behavior and why attention is the lever that directs your energy. You’ll hear practical examples of cla...

Ready rarely arrives on schedule. We talk about the hidden engine behind real career momentum: mentors who let you borrow their belief until your own kicks in. Through personal stories, practical tools, and a simple exercise you can use today, we show how the right people shorten your learning curve, expand your options, and help you act before doubt slows you down.

First, we redefine mentoring beyond formal programs. Mentors can be bosses, peers, or brief encounters that change your trajectory. You’ll hear how a timely nudge toward a promotion and an early push into transformational tr...

What if the one thing blocking your next level isn’t a missing skill, but something you need to release? We dig into the overlooked power of letting go—habits that drain, beliefs that shrink your options, and labels that quietly define your limits. Through candid stories and practical tools, we reframe sacrifice as a choice you make on purpose, not a tax you pay by default, and show how to create enough space for clarity to take the lead.

We talk about the moments leaders cling to control and perfection, and the real cost of managing what...

Ever felt a quiet whisper say “you’re made for more,” but you’re stuck coloring inside the lines? Debbie unpacks how we learn to play small—by giving more power to past stories and outside opinions than to our own lived wisdom—and how that pattern quietly delays promotions, silences ideas, and keeps leaders circling the safe middle. Through a candid personal reset story and practical coaching, we map a path from cozy comfort to intentional stretch without glorifying burnout or bravado.

We break down the three Cs of leadership readiness—clarity, confidence, and courage—so they become usab...

What if the fastest path to your next leadership level isn’t a new certification, but a better corner? We unpack how to build an inner circle that challenges your thinking, expands your options, and lends you belief when your own confidence dips. From a pivotal career story about saying yes to a stretch role to a field guide of practical tools, you’ll hear how the right people transform momentum.

We walk through the Thrive With Five method to intentionally choose the voices that shape your days. You’ll learn how to spot true champions, why borrow...

Your words are only half the message; the way you show up does the rest. Today we unpack how small, intentional choices turn everyday conversations into engines of trust, clarity, and action. Instead of reacting from habit, we focus on what people need, how tone shapes outcomes, and why curiosity is the quickest path to influence.

We break down the real cost of rushed messages and scattered meetings, especially when technology makes it tempting to text instead of talk. I share the FROM framework—Family/Friends, Recreation, Occupation, and Money-as-Values—as a simple way to build genuine conn...

Think mentoring has to be formal, long-term, and led by someone older in your chain of command? Let’s rewrite that script. We take apart the most stubborn mentoring myths and show how short, targeted conversations with the right people—often peers or folks outside your team—can unlock clarity, confidence, and faster progress at work.

We start with a story: learning company financials from a CPA who was eight years younger and in another department. That experience reframed mentoring as a practical exchange focused on a clear goal, not a title. From there, we map four princi...

Big results rarely come from big, dramatic leaps - they come from small, repeatable moves that compound. We open up about why leaders stall when they chase the “perfect” big swing and how tiny, consistent actions create momentum you can feel by noon. Debbie shares the personal turning point that led to “donating” 60 pounds to the universe, and the surprising insight that consistency - not overhaul - changes your health, confidence, and leadership presence.

From there, we get practical. You’ll learn how a simple morning ritual splits personal and professional energy so your best hours serve your top p...

January doesn’t have to catch you off guard. We walk through a practical, no-drama plan to finish the year with intention and step into the new one with momentum—without sacrificing the holidays or modeling chaos for your team. Instead of waiting for the calendar to reset you, we choose a clear January “win,” reverse-engineer it into projects and tasks, and then calendar the reality of Q4 so the plan fits life, not the other way around.

We start by putting a single outcome in the “top box”—anything from a finished proposal to a rested team—and ladde...

Overwhelm doesn’t strike because your to-do list is long; it strikes because your focus is scattered. We share a candid story from a confidential acquisition—where the real weight wasn’t the tasks, but the responsibility for people’s jobs and futures—and unpack how that pressure clouds judgment and drives knee-jerk decisions. Then we offer a practical off-ramp: a simple, repeatable way to slow the spin, reclaim your attention, and make the next smart move.

We walk through the Clarity Compass, a framework that anchors tough decisions in purpose and action. North is why—the values and m...

Have you ever realized you might be the one standing in your own way? That unexpected gut punch hit me during my first Neuro-Linguistic Programming training, forever changing my approach to leadership and life.

I entered that training expecting professional development tricks but discovered something much more profound. The stress and reactivity defining my leadership wasn't coming from external circumstances—it was stemming from my own mindset. This revelation opened my eyes to the influence I already possessed but wasn't fully utilizing. Through NLP and HUNA principles, I discovered three transformative mindset tools that shifted me from fe...

Ever felt like your never-ending to-do list is controlling your life instead of the other way around? You're not alone. Leadership today often celebrates constant motion and equates busyness with productivity. But what if the secret to more effective leadership isn't doing more, but strategically doing less?

The most powerful leadership tool might be the simplest: permission to pause. This isn't about checking out or giving up—it's about creating intentional space between stimulus and response. When we pause, we transform automatic reactions into thoughtful leadership decisions. We shift from overwhelm to clarity, from frenzy to focus.

Ever caught yourself writing down tasks you've already completed just for the satisfaction of crossing them off? You're not alone. The distinction between being busy and being productive is at the heart of effective leadership—yet so many of us confuse the two.

Toxic productivity—that relentless drive to do more, even when it drains your energy—has become a modern badge of honor. I've been there myself, running that internal marathon where the finish line was bragging rights about how much I'd accomplished. But a simple definition changed my perspective forever: productivity is knowing what actually needs...

The simple word "should" might be quietly sabotaging your leadership effectiveness. This eye-opening episode dives into how the language of obligation creates unnecessary pressure that keeps us playing small and mimicking leadership styles that don't authentically reflect who we are.

Discover why "should" is classified as a "modal operator of necessity" in NLP and how this seemingly innocent word closes doors to possibility while locking us into the belief that there's only one path forward. For women leaders especially, the burden of "should" often manifests as pressure to be someone else entirely—an exhausting endeavor that drains th...

What if the success you've been chasing isn't actually yours? That prestigious title, impressive salary, and recognition might look good on paper, but they could be part of a story you've inherited rather than one you've consciously created.

Many of us—especially emerging leaders—fall into this trap. We get promoted without understanding what kind of leader we want to be. We say yes to everything, believing being indispensable is the only way forward. We burn ourselves out trying to prove we belong instead of asking whether this version of success even matters to us. I know this...

Ever wonder why certain situations trigger strong reactions in your leadership? Why you might avoid giving feedback, take on too much work, or struggle to speak up in meetings? These aren't just random behaviors—they're often signals of unprocessed emotions steering your leadership from behind the scenes.

In this transformative episode, we dive deep into how past experiences create emotional patterns that silently influence how you lead today. That boss who micromanaged you years ago? You might still be overcorrecting. The meeting where your idea got shut down? Perhaps you're still hesitating to speak up. These experiences do...

What would change in your leadership if you could see the hidden labels running your decisions? That's the powerful question at the heart of this transformative episode on how the stories we tell ourselves shape our professional journey.

The most influential factor in your leadership isn't your experience or skills—it's your identity. Those quiet beliefs about who you are ("I'm the fixer," "I'm the strong one," "I'm just lucky to be here") function as unconscious instructions to your mind, filtering what information you allow in and determining how you show up in professional settings. These identity-level be...

Ever wonder why you haven't taken that next step in your leadership journey despite knowing you're smart, capable, and full of potential? The answer might surprise you. It's rarely about needing more credentials or another course. The real barriers are often invisible – inherited beliefs, unquestioned patterns, or that persistent inner voice whispering "not yet."

The Clarity Compass, a powerful filtering tool I share in this episode, offers a refreshing approach to leadership readiness. Instead of focusing on external achievements, it guides you to align with your authentic self through four cardinal directions: your why (what truly matters to...

Have you ever felt that persistent tug—that whisper telling you it's time to step up, even while doubt holds you back? That's not hesitation speaking. It's readiness in disguise.

The truth about being ready for your next leadership move is that it rarely feels like having all the answers. Instead, it manifests as five distinct signals that most of us misinterpret as reasons to wait. As a clarity coach who's guided countless leaders through this terrain, I'm pulling back the curtain on what genuine readiness actually looks like.

From the evolution of your questions to...

Leadership readiness is often misunderstood as a checklist of skills and experience, but true readiness comes from internal qualities like mindset, willingness, and belief in oneself. We keep promoting people based on technical expertise and external traits, then wonder why they burn out when they haven't connected to their deeper purpose for leading.

• Shifting from waiting for external validation to trusting yourself is a key turning point in leadership development
• The Clarity Compass tool helps align leadership with personal values through four key dimensions: Why, What, Who, and How
• Leadership preparation should start with identity and pu...

What if everything you've been told about "getting ready" for leadership opportunities is actually holding you back? This thought-provoking episode challenges the fundamental notion of readiness and reveals how many of us have been ready long before someone else told us we weren't.

I share a pivotal moment from my own corporate career when I felt that internal hum saying "you're ready," only to have others dismiss my readiness with a polite brush-off. The mistake I made? Trusting their assessment more than my own inner knowing. This experience—one many leaders face—reveals how readiness isn't something best...

Leadership demands confidence, especially when certainty feels impossible to achieve. Yet many of us fall into the trap of waiting for perfect information before making important decisions. This paralyzing need for certainty isn't just ineffective—it actively undermines our leadership potential and organizational momentum.

The key lies in understanding the critical difference between clarity and certainty. While certainty demands complete information and guaranteed outcomes, clarity focuses on what matters most right now and taking appropriate action based on what we know. This distinction transforms how we approach leadership challenges. Drawing from Neuro-Linguistic Programming principles, confident leaders embrace a...

Life disruptions signal a need for realignment rather than a reason to pretend everything is fine. When unexpected challenges arise, the Readiness Reset framework provides a path to find your next clear move through honesty and clarity.

• Pretending to be okay drains energy and leads to hitting the wall
• "Bouncing up" rather than "bouncing back" acknowledges what's happened
• Disruption isn't failure—it's a signal that realignment is needed
• The Readiness Reset framework provides flexible guidance in five steps

• Step 1: WHY - Connect to your motivation and what truly matters now
• Step 2: WHAT...

Ever walked into a leadership meeting and thought, "Do I really belong here?" That nagging sense of doubt—the fear someone will "find you out"—is imposter syndrome, and it thrives among high achievers like you.

Leadership readiness has little to do with titles, degrees, or external validation. These traditional metrics create a dangerous illusion that you must continuously earn your voice before using it. The revolutionary truth? You don't need to earn your right to lead—you need to own it. The shift from seeking approval to cultivating self-belief is what separates spinning in self-doubt from steppi...

Leaders who feel drained and overwhelmed don't need a vacation – they need a five-minute habit reset to interrupt burnout patterns and reclaim their energy. It's not about time management but about leadership energy management, with small intentional pauses that help you return to what matters most.

• Overwhelm builds gradually through a slow leak of energy that we often don't notice until we're completely drained
• Signs you need a reset include rereading emails multiple times, snapping at others, avoiding decisions, and waking up already tired
• The five-minute reset includes naming what you're avoiding, physically changing your state, r...

What's truly standing between you and your next leadership breakthrough? Contrary to popular belief, it's not another certification, more experience, or endless preparation—it's your fundamental belief in yourself.

This episode challenges the conventional wisdom about leadership readiness, revealing how internal barriers create more obstacles than external qualifications ever could. I share striking research from Hewlett Packard showing that women typically wait until they're 100% qualified before applying for positions, while men confidently step forward at just 60%. This confidence gap creates real-world consequences, giving quicker movers a significant competitive advantage regardless of actual preparedness.

Leadership readiness is...

Ever feel like you're sprinting on a leadership treadmill that's only getting faster? You're not alone. 

The relentless hustle culture has convinced us that leadership success means constant availability, perpetual action, and an always-on mentality. But high performers are hitting walls they never saw coming – and that old "push through it" reflex isn't grit, it's a straight path to depletion. What if your real leadership edge isn't about doing more, but moving with greater intention?

In this illuminating episode, we unpack the concept of sustainable momentum – the steady, repeatable energy of forward motion without self-sacrifice. This...

Have you ever felt like something was off in your professional life, despite outward success? You're hitting deadlines, showing up where decisions are made, but inside, something feels missing. This creeping disconnect is what I call "professional drift" — and it might be the biggest unrecognized threat to your leadership impact today.

Professional drift isn't burnout. You're still functioning, but you're not flourishing. You're engaged but not energized, producing but not progressing. It's that slow, almost imperceptible slide away from purpose that happens when we become untethered from what truly matters to us. For high-achievers, this drift can go...

Discover how small, intentional shifts can create powerful momentum in your leadership and life. The most effective breakthroughs often come not from dramatic changes but from quiet shifts in perspective and simple micro moves that bring clarity.

• Clarity doesn't require a full life overhaul or detailed five-year plan
• Real momentum comes from doing the right things for the right reasons
• The four forces for clarity: resetting direction, clearing focus, protecting energy, and taking action
• Micro moves for momentum: pause and prioritize, get into action with feedback, anchor with one word
• There is no failure, o...

Debbie Peterson introduces the Clarity Compass, a customized tool that helps leaders navigate their careers with purpose and intention instead of constantly doing more. This powerful framework centers on four key forces for clarity—direction, focus, energy, and action—serving as your personal GPS when feeling off track or overwhelmed.

• The Clarity Compass puts intention back at the center of your career decisions
• Without clarity, even successful leaders can drift and lose their sense of purpose
• Your "why" forms the north position of your compass, anchoring you during uncertainty
• Define your next growth opportunity specifically...

Ever found yourself stuck in place despite knowing exactly what to do? Your clarity problem might not be your overflowing inbox or packed calendar—it might be your beliefs.

This eye-opening episode dives into the five sneaky mindsets that silently sabotage your leadership clarity and momentum. From perfectionism that keeps you planning instead of doing, to comparison that clouds your judgment, to the false belief that you must handle everything alone—these thought patterns create the mental noise that prevents decisive action.

Leadership clarity isn't about having all the answers. It's about cleaning out the ment...

Success should feel fulfilling—not like something you're barely surviving. Yet how many of us take another step in our careers only to find ourselves running on empty? For emerging leaders, especially women, we've been handed the message that growth means doing more, getting ahead means proving more, and success requires sacrificing more. This harmful programming leads straight to overwhelm and burnout.

What if leveling up didn't mean burning out? When clarity becomes your compass, growth transforms into something sustainable and energizing that feels authentically like you again. This isn't just about personal wellbeing—it's smart leadership stra...