Anchored, Aligned, Accountable A Framework for Transcending Bullsh*t and Transforming Our Lives and Work

By: Aiko Bethea

Published by Random House Publishing Group, 2026-01-13

A bold framework for successfully navigating complicated interactions at work and at home—by one of the first leadership coaches to infuse her work with an equity lens and create spaces for connection that require both accountability and generosity.

We all have that moment we wish we could do over. Maybe it was a comment you made at work. Or a look you gave a loved one. Or a time you bit your tongue when a colleague said something that just didn't sit right. These moments cause real, lasting damage because they move us away from who most want to be, and they are what Aiko Bethea calls "the bullsh*t": bullsh*t that keeps us misaligned with who we aspire to be. But Aiko Bethea suggests that there is an alternative—a way to reframe“the bullsh*t”as instances that offer us a choice: We can shrink away, remain in our default comfort zone, and refuse to change our approach—or we can apply a new framework to alter our entire mindset, relationships, and quality of life. Because, as she says, “bullsh*t can’t be fought off, but it can be transcended.” Through her "Anchored-Aligned-Accountable" framework, Bethea shows us how:

Transformation requires that we are anchored in our values, our intention and impact are aligned, and we are accountable to ourselves and others.

Bethea takes us through the real-life scenarios from her career as a facilitator and leadership coach, and guides us through journaling prompts and practical exercises, teaching us how to intentionally lean into our fears and learn from our mistakes. With a witty, engaging voice, Anchored, Aligned, Accountable invites us to embrace connection over competition, empathy over pity, and vulnerability over ego, so that we can become the version of ourselves that we truly respect.