About Tony Joseph Jr. and Nucleo Coaching
We help leaders become a better version of themselves.
Nucleo Coaching is a veteran-owned leadership coaching and facilitation firm in Lakeville, Minnesota. It is led by Tony Joseph Jr., an ICF PCC executive coach, SHRM-SCP and U.S. Air Force veteran who works with school districts, organizations and veterans. Our work grows out of one belief: people get better faster when someone listens closely, tells them the truth with care, and stays with them while they practice.
ICF PCC · SHRM-SCP · U.S. Air Force veteran · Lakeville, Minnesota
At a glance
- Led by
- Tony Joseph Jr., executive coach, facilitator and keynote speaker
- Based in
- Lakeville, Minnesota
- Serves
- School districts, organizations of all sizes, veterans and military spouses
- Credentials
- ICF PCC, SHRM-SCP, Certified ScrumMaster, six certified assessments
- Works
- In person across Minnesota, by video anywhere in the U.S.
- Ownership
- Veteran-owned
Off the clock
Meet Tony Joseph Jr.
I'm a husband, a father and a first-generation American. After 9/11 I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, carrying on my family's military tradition, and served as an intelligence analyst and mission planner. That work taught me how much good decisions depend on clear information and people who trust each other enough to say what they see.
After the Air Force I consulted on leadership development and military intelligence, then spent years leading talent and leadership development inside large companies, including Target, Best Buy and Perrigo. At Target I did leadership development work, coached leaders and helped build the inclusion program.
Today I coach executives and managers around the world, facilitate leadership teams, and partner with Minnesota superintendents and school leaders. I'm still learning every week, from my clients, from the research and from the rooms I get to work in, and I try to pass on what holds up.
What your first conversation looks like
- You tell me what you're working on and what you want to be different.
- I ask questions, listen, and share what I've seen work for leaders in a similar spot.
- You leave with one next step you can use right away, whether we work together or not.
From mission planning to leadership coaching.
Intelligence analyst
Led intelligence analysts and worked over 500 intelligence missions during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Booz Allen, Lockheed Martin, SAIC
Leadership development and military intelligence consulting.
Target, Best Buy, Perrigo
Talent, learning and leadership development, and operations leadership.
Coach, facilitator, speaker
Executive coaching, team facilitation, school partnerships and veteran career coaching.
Where we've done the work
Tony has worked, coached and led leadership development inside organizations like these, and coaches leaders from many more.
Circana
BluebeamLakeville Area SchoolsWhat we believe about helping people grow.
Our approach comes from research on what makes coaching and leadership development work, and from years of testing ideas in real rooms.
Your goals lead the work
The research is clear that client-chosen goals and a strong working relationship matter most. You set the goals, in your own words.
Practice is where it sticks
People learn hard skills by trying them. Every session, workshop and keynote includes time to practice on real situations.
We show you what changed
Every engagement starts and ends with a check, often with your manager or board, so you can both see the difference.
We keep what holds up
We test popular leadership ideas inside real organizations and keep the ones that help. Anything that doesn't, we let go.
Training you can check.
Coaching and HR
- ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Read more →
- SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) Read more →
- iPEC coach training Read more →
- Certified ScrumMaster Read more →
- Working toward ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) Read more →
Certified assessments
- Hogan Read more →
- Leadership Circle Profile Read more →
- MBTI Read more →
- EQ-i 2.0 Read more →
- Energy Leadership Index Read more →
- Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Read more →
Service
- U.S. Air Force veteran
- Nucleo Coaching is veteran-owned
Schools, organizations and veterans.
Schools
Minnesota superintendents, principals, building leadership teams and PLCs.
- Principal coaching
- Leadership retreats and PLC resets
- Opening-day keynotes
Organizations
Executives, managers and leadership teams at companies of all sizes.
- Executive coaching
- Leadership team offsites
- Assessments and succession
Veterans
Transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses.
- A free 30-minute career session
- The free Veteran Transition Toolkit
The team behind the work
You work with Tony from the first call to the follow-up. For larger projects, Nucleo brings in experienced coaches, instructional designers and subject matter experts matched to the work.
What clients say
Leaders from schools, Fortune 500 companies and growing teams share what changed after working with Tony.
What holds up: leadership ideas we've put to the test.
Leadership advice is everywhere. We like to try it in real schools and real teams, then share what actually helped people. Here's what we've learned lately.
Practice the hard conversation out loud
What we saw: Leaders who said their opening lines out loud to a partner told us it felt easier than they expected. Some came back later to say the real conversation went better than they thought it would.
Try it: Before your next hard talk, say your first sentence out loud to someone you trust.
A coaching model sticks once people use it
What we saw: We taught the GROW coaching model and then had everyone practice it. Teachers named the practice as the most useful part of the day.
Try it: In your next one-on-one, ask about the Goal, the Reality, the Options and the Way forward.
The debrief matters more than the report
What we found: We couldn't find a study showing that a fancier assessment, on its own, makes leaders better. What helps is the conversation afterward that turns results into goals.
Try it: After any assessment, pick two goals within a week, while the results still feel fresh.
Let people choose the goal
What we found: A review of 27 coaching studies found the working relationship between coach and client was one of the strongest links to results. Goals the client picks keep that relationship strong.
Try it: Before you give advice, ask: "What do you want to be different three months from now?"
Let's talk about what you're working on.
A free 30-minute conversation with Tony, by video or in person in Minnesota.
Book a time with Tony