Samantha Coleman

Biography

Bridging psychology, leadership, and storytelling to help leaders align who they are with how they lead—under real pressure and in real time.

Samantha Coleman, PhD, is Senior Associate Director of Leadership Development and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. A leadership educator, executive coach, and former therapist, Dr. Coleman draws on her clinical background, social entrepreneurship, and cross-sector experience to design high-impact learning environments that integrate rigor, reflection, and real-world application.

Her work focuses on developing leaders who are both competent and congruent. Grounded in the science of psychological capital—hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism—her facilitation emphasizes authenticity, empathy, and deep listening as strategic leadership capabilities.          Dr. Coleman has coached and consulted with leaders at every organizational level—from emerging professionals to C-suite executives—across regulated, creative, and operationally complex industries, including healthcare, financial services, social impact, entertainment, automotive, and retail. Her experience includes partnerships with leaders and teams within Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, where she applies a listening-driven, context-responsive approach to leadership development.

Known for creating psychologically safe, feedback-rich learning environments, Dr. Coleman blends behavioral science with experiential methods that emphasize application over abstraction. She also serves as a co-facilitator in Booth’s Interpersonal Dynamics course, bringing a relational, listening-centered approach to some of the school’s most impactful leadership development experiences. Her teaching and facilitation challenge participants to interrogate default leadership scripts, navigate the tension between internal authenticity and external expectations, and translate self-insight into effective communication and action in complex, high-stakes environments.

Beyond Booth, Dr. Coleman is the founder of Do You But Better, a leadership and learning company focused on empathy, authenticity, and resilience, and a co-founder of Black to the Beginning, a storytelling platform amplifying the Black adoption experience. Together, her academic, entrepreneurial, and narrative work reflect an interdisciplinary commitment to helping individuals and systems lead with clarity, intention, and purpose.