Tolero Solutions

10/26/2026

If your leadership development isn't helping you tackle the challenges you're facing RIGHT NOW, what's the point?

Seriously.

Leadership theory has its place. Frameworks matter for the foundation. But knowing what good leadership looks like in ex*****on and actually leading effectively when the pressure is on are two very different things.

That's one of the things I intentionally set out to do differently when I developed my leadership programs.

Too often, leadership development focuses on theory, concepts, and frameworks without connecting them to the real-world challenges leaders are dealing with every day.

That's exactly why I designed FORGE, my transformation and change leadership program, to start with YOUR real-life situation.

The change you're leading. The challenges you're navigating. The decisions you're trying to make. The competing demands on your time and attention.

Then we make the learning immediately relevant and actionable, so you're not just talking about how to lead through change. You're actually strengthening your ability to do it.

Because transformation doesn't happen in a classroom or a textbook. It happens in the messy reality of leading people, navigating uncertainty, managing competing priorities, and keeping things moving forward.

Your leadership development should work as hard as you do.

🎯 Leading a transformation or navigating significant change? Let's make your development as real and actionable as the challenges you're facing.

Learn more about FORGE: https://tolerosolutions.com/change-transformation-forge-program/

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I'm Scott Span
➡ I help leaders perform effectively when pressure, change, and complexity collide
📑Contact me for a chat 📲

10/23/2026

As I look ahead to the ICF Converge conference next week, I’m looking forward to connecting with fellow coaches, exchanging ideas, and continuing to learn from the people who challenge how we think and practice.

And speaking of learning, I happened to catch this graphic in my feed recently. The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier is a book I find genuinely useful. It’s a practical reminder that effective coaching isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions, staying curious, and resisting the urge to jump in and solve everyone’s problems.

A few questions worth asking:

• What’s on your mind?
• And what else?
• What’s the real challenge here for you?
• What do you want?
• What can I do to help?

Simple questions. Not always easy to ask, and even harder to use well when your instinct is to fix, advise, or tell someone what you think they should do. lt's a dance!

Whether you’re coaching leaders, leading a team, or navigating a challenging conversation, the quality of your questions can change the quality of the conversation, and the thinking that follows.

My coaching philosophy has always been about helping people build awareness, challenge their assumptions, and find their own path forward to success. Whatever that looks like to them. Coaching has taught me that sometimes the most valuable thing we can do is stop talking long enough to let that happen.

So, heading into the weekend, here’s a challenge: Ask one more question before offering one more answer. See what opens up.

And if you’re heading to ICF Converge, I look forward to seeing you there and continuing the learning together!

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.

10/21/2026

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜.” Change agents, you know this one...

You're trying to move a transformation forward, but leadership is sending mixed signals, priorities compete, and everyone seems to have a different definition of success.

The strategy deck looks great. The town hall is polished. Everyone nods.
Then the questions start...

What are we actually trying to accomplish?
Which priority comes first?
Does this mean the same thing for my team as it does for yours?
And who gets to make the call when we disagree?

And somehow, it's the people responsible for making change happen who are left trying to connect the dots.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: You can't communicate your way out of a clarity problem.

As a change agent, don't just ask whether the message has been delivered. Help leadership see where alignment is missing, where expectations conflict, and which decisions need to be made.

Ask change leadership:
Where are we still seeing conflicting messages, priorities, or interpretations of success, and who needs to resolve them and when?

Because alignment isn't a communication event. It's an ongoing leadership responsibility.
Your job isn't to compensate for leadership misalignment by communicating louder, creating another slide deck, or holding one more meeting.

It's to surface the gaps, ask the uncomfortable questions, and help leadership address what could derail the transformation. You can manage the change plan. But you can't make up for a lack of leadership clarity.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻. Through my work building effective change networks and supporting change agents, I help organizations strengthen the connections, leadership alignment, and practical capabilities needed to turn transformation plans into successful, lasting change.

📲 If you're in the midst of change and transformation, building a change network, developing your change agents, or trying to get a transformation back on track, let's talk.

Change agents shouldn't have to carry the transformation alone, and they shouldn't have to fight leadership misalignment to make progress.

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I'm Scott Span
➡ I help leaders perform effectively when pressure, change, and complexity collide
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📑Contact me for a chat 📲

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10/19/2026

Let’s talk about the part of organizational transformation that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜.

🧭 They’re navigating uncertainty, managing competing demands, making difficult decisions, and trying to keep their people and organization moving forward. All while dealing with whatever life is throwing at them personally.

And yet, we often expect leaders to somehow compartmentalize it all and just get on with the job. That’s not a strategy. And it’s certainly not sustainable.

🤔 My work with leaders and organizations, combined with my own experience as a caregiver for parents with dementia, got me thinking about a critical gap: How do we support leaders through the personal side of change without losing sight of their organizational responsibilities?

That question helped shape 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗘, my program designed to help leaders navigate change and transformation, both within themselves and across their organizations.

Not therapy. Not another change management checklist. Practical support to help leaders navigate complexity, manage competing demands, and lead effectively when both their professional and personal worlds are changing.

Because transformation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. And the person responsible for leading it doesn’t stop being human when they walk into work. That’s the reality we need to start addressing.

If you’re a leader navigating significant change, managing competing demands, and trying to keep transformation moving while dealing with challenges in your own life, FORGE was designed for you. You don’t have to choose between managing what’s happening personally and leading effectively professionally. Let’s work on how you navigate both to benefit you and those you lead.

📚 Explore more about FORGE and discover how you can strengthen your leadership, navigate change, and keep moving forward when the personal and professional collide. Learn more: https://tolerosolutions.com/change-transformation-forge-program/

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10/14/2026

🧠 Mindset Matters: Try This, Not That...

Try this: “How can I clarify scope and decision points earlier to increase alignment and reduce rework and confusion?”

Not that: “Why does this client keep changing their mind and making things harder?”

You can’t control indecision or misunderstandings. But you CAN tighten alignment, clarify expectations, and create better conditions for success.

The shift? Stop focusing on what others are doing to make your job harder. Start focusing on what you can do to make the work better.

That’s not letting anyone off the hook. It’s taking ownership of what you can influence.

Mindset matters. So does what you do with it.

📲Struggling with shifting expectations, misalignment, or constant rework? Let’s talk about how leadership coaching and organizational consulting can help you turn the frustration into forward progress. Message me to start the conversation.

10/12/2026

I’ve been a little quieter than usual.

Not because I’ve had less to say.

Quite the opposite.

I’ve been going through my own transformation.

And if you know me, you know that I spend a lot of my time helping leaders navigate their own change, uncertainty, complexity, and transformation. Turns out, the work gets a little more personal when you’re the one in the middle of it.

Over the past year or so, conversations with clients, my own lived experiences, and contributing a chapter to the book “Lives Lost and Leadership Found: Lessons from Special Somebodies” have caused me to rethink some of how I approach my work.

Especially when it comes to the intersection of:
Grief and growth...
Personal transformation and professional responsibility...
Uncertainty and leadership...

Because as leaders we don’t get to hit pause on leadership just because life gets complicated. Sometimes we’re navigating something deeply personal while still expected to make decisions, lead our people, show up, and keep moving forward.

That’s a different kind of transformation.
It can be a difficult line to walk.

And it’s one I understand differently now, not just as a coach and transformation advisor, but as a human living through my own balancing act.

So I’m turning some of those lessons, conversations, and experiences into new offerings to support leaders who are navigating their own versions of this journey.

This video is the first in a series where I’ll introduce what’s coming and share more about the thinking behind it.

It’s personal.
It’s practical.
And, as with most transformation, it’s still a work in progress.

More to come!

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I'm Scott Span
➡ I help leaders perform effectively when pressure, change, and complexity collide ⬅
Contact me for a chat 📲

10/09/2026

Life has a funny way of testing your ability to adapt. And occasionally, it seems determined to see just how much you can take. 🙄

But here's the thing: the setback isn't always the end of the story. Sometimes, it's where the real value gets uncovered.

In leadership, change, and life, we don't get to control every curveball thrown our way. We *do* get to choose how we respond.
Do we get stuck focusing on the rocks? Or do we look for what we can learn, how we can adapt, and what opportunities might be hiding in the mess?

That's not toxic positivity. It's resilience, perspective, and intentional action.

It's also a big part of what I work on with leaders through coaching. Because leading effectively isn't about having a smooth path. It's about how you navigate the rough patches, make decisions under pressure, and keep moving forward without losing yourself or your people along the way.

So, if life is throwing stones this week, keep looking for those diamonds. 💎

What have you turned into a diamond lately?

09/28/2026

Yep. It's Monday. Something to think about as we head into a new week: Stop waiting for someone to tell you your idea is good.

Validation feels good.
Progress feels better.

Take the idea.
Challenge it.
Test it.
Make it better.
Then do something with it.

Because leadership and life aren’t a popularity contest, and ex*****on and progress sure as hell don’t happen because everyone agreed with you in the meeting.

This is a big part of the work I do with leaders: getting out of the validation loop and into intentional action. Thinking more clearly. Challenging assumptions. Making decisions. Adjusting when reality gives you new information. It's also something I try and practice in my own life!

You don’t need to be right on the first try.

You need to be willing to move, learn, and improve.

So it’s Monday. This week make it...

Less “Does everyone like my idea?”
More “How do I make this idea better?”

Now go get ’em.

09/25/2026

Friday reminder: not every conversation needs to be about work. Actually, that's probably a good place to start heading into the weekend.

Small talk gets a bad rap...

“How was your week?”

“Busy.”

“Same.”

Excellent. Deeply meaningful human connection achieved. Umhum. But good small talk isn't about filling silence or checking the networking box. As I tell my clients, small talk done right isn't small!

It's about connection!

Ask about the vacation.
The new restaurant.
The hobby.
The book.
The dog.
The thing they're excited about that has absolutely nothing to do with their job.

And then, here's the radical part: Listen.

Because people don't build trusted relationships exclusively through strategy decks, KPIs and calendar invites. We're people. Act accordingly.

That's also a big part of the work I do with leaders and teams, helping them communicate better, build trust, navigate pressure, and create relationships that actually support performance and transformation.

So as you head into the weekend, maybe have a conversation that isn't about productivity for once.

Ask a better question.

Be curious.

Pay attention.

You might be surprised where the conversation goes. And if you're looking for a few better questions to steal, I wrote more about why small talk isn't small and how to make it genuine rather than painfully transactional: https://tolerosolutions.com/small-talk-trust/

Happy Friday. Go talk to a human. 😉

The problem with small talk is that we have made it synonymous with meaningless conversation. “How was your weekend?” “Busy.” “Yeah, same.” “Crazy weather.” “Yep.” Thrilling. Sarcasm intended. No wonder people hate small talk. But I think we have confused small talk with meaningl...