LinkedIn Spotlight: Chip Huth

Charles "Chip" Huth , Senior Consultant, The Arbinger Institute

In 2005, in the midst of a thriving and upwardly mobile career in marketing and technology, I made a major pivot and pursued a dream I'd held since I was young boy: I became a police officer. A powerful, life-changing decision that shifted my world view in a dramatically positive way and that has opened me up to incredible experiences and opportunities the world over. The vast numbers of incredible people I met and connected with during my time on the police department could sustain a daily edition of these Spotlights for years! Chip Huth is one of the people I met during that time and from whom I've learned a great deal. The timeline for his transformative life change mirrored my own and it has been my great pleasure to follow his journey.

With more than 30 years in law enforcement, with tours in patrol, tactical units, and command positions, Chip has been involved in countless encounters where tensions and emotions ran high and the risk for disastrous outcomes was equally high. Developing a mindset for unconditional respect allowed him to experience those encounters with extreme mindfulness and positively affect the outcomes. He found a complement to his approach in the outward mindset promoted by The Arbinger Institute and has since been a herald of the work they do, working with numerous organizations across the U.S.

More than just a student of leadership, Chip has a continuous habit of learning to lead well and now teaches others through the lessons of his own experiences. Every time I connect with Chip I discover something new about leadership and about myself—that's the impact leaders have.

Get to know more about Chip in the Q&A below.

Welcome to the Spotlight Charles "Chip" Huth !

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MG: Where do you work and what do you do?

CH: I'm a Senior Consultant with the Arbinger Institute. The Arbinger Institute helps organizations establish and develop dynamic mindsets to promote employee engagement and achieve desired results.

MG: How long have you been doing that kind of work?

CH: I began collaborating as a member of the Arbinger team in 2010; however, I endeavored to embed Arbinger principles into my way of working for several years before then. Peace officers often meet people during very stressful times and I was exposed to a wide array of conflict during my law enforcement career. After repeated exposure to people in crisis, I noticed that my own demeanor had a significant impact on my ability to more productively navigate the mine field of human emotions present during conflict and strife. Over time, I realized that people did not respond primarily to the things I said or did, but to how they were feeling seen or judged by me during the engagement. This real-world insight, together with a deeper understanding of Arbinger principles, transformed my life both personally and professionally. After experiencing remarkable success in helping others recognize conflict as an opportunity rather than an impediment, I jumped at the chance to scale my work as a full-time member of the Arbinger team. My background and experience in law enforcement provides me an incredible foundation and improved understanding of the dynamics of human interaction. I can leverage this when helping clients get to the root of collusions in their organizations.

MG: What drew you to that line of work?

CH: Lifelong passion for leadership. In addition, I discovered Arbinger's work at a crossroads in my life and it completely transformed the way I interact with people.?

MG: What has been your most significant professional achievement?

CH: I enjoyed the privilege of leading a transformative SWAT team. The team members obtained a 3X improvement in general law enforcement metrics while simultaneously eliminating community complaints associated with their work.?

MG: You and a colleague authored a book on "unleashing unconditional respect," how did that mentality play into the achievements you saw with your SWAT team?

My police colleague, Jack Colwell , and I drew heavily on knowledge we had acquired through our work with the Arbinger Institute when we authored Unleashing the Power of Unconditional Respect. That work dives deep into recognizing the extrinsic value of every individual and the positive impact it has in transforming our relationships in the community. It also gave us a vehicle for discussing the behavioral manifestations of this mindset. As the SWAT team adopted the attitude and belief that respect was not synonymous with trust—and therefore didn’t need to be earned—the team was able to demonstrate regard for the humanity of every individual with whom we came into contact. Demonstrating unconditional positive regard for all people, the team was able to focus on being tactical with the problem and compassionate toward people. We ceased seeing “problem people” and began seeing “people with problems.”

MG: What do you see as the biggest change in your organization/industry in the next 1-3 years?

CH: The need to reconnect people. We have allowed technology to serve as a poor substitute for collaboration and connection.?As hybrid working gains traction, leaders will be challenged keeping their teams humanly connected to one another to bolster both synergy and creativity. Human beings are “wired” to be at their best when in proximity to other people. The temptation to do most work remotely is understandable, given the obvious benefits, but we must be mindful of the tradeoffs. Technology will continue to proliferate forcing leaders to adapt and evolve their thinking to effectively integrate those advancements without unintentionally stifling collaboration and growth.

MG: What is the biggest initiative you’re working on right now?

CH: Turning the world outward!?

MG: Okay, you got my attention with that one. What do you mean by turning the world "outward?

When we're self-absorbed and thinking primarily about hitting our own individual goals and objectives, we become blind to the impact our efforts are having on the ability of other team members to effectively achieve their goals and objectives. Being outward means staying present and mindful to your impact on others.?For this reason I structure my work in such a way as to allow me to achieve my objectives while creating an environment that also enables others to do the same. When I am outward, I accomplish my work in a manner that paves a way and makes it easier for those I impact to accomplish theirs. This is the essence of comprehensive synergy.

MG: What are ways that you give back to your community, organization,?industry, etc.?

CH: I remain engaged with public service organizations.?

Thank you Chip. It's been great learning about the work you do and the journey you've been on. To help readers get to know you a little better, I have just a few extra questions:

MG: Change is a constant disruptor. How do you prepare for and embrace change in your life and work?

Change is inevitable and necessary and it should be embraced, not feared. I believe that preparing for change begins with a paradigm shift that considers change to be a positive sign of growth instead of merely a negative disruption. In my experience, most people aren’t really opposed to change, but what troubles them is the loss of the known. We all get comfortable with the status quo, even if it isn’t ideal, and moving away from that always represents risk and creates hesitancy. I prepare for change by embracing it, understanding that my plans are always tentative, then anticipating a transition away from an existing strategy or course of action. This allows me to be "at the ready" whenever the environment or circumstances change or I receive new information. The condition being that principled behavior and high core values—like courage, character, integrity, and unconditional positive regard—constantly drive and influence my behavior.

MG: What advice do you have for building your network and staying connected?

CH: Be authentic. Don't work on managing your image; just be with others.

MG: Are you reading any good books right now (or following a blog, podcast, or Twitter feed)?

CH: Discipline is Destiny, by Ryan Holiday; Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson; Criminal (In)Justice, by Rafael Mangual; The Body Keeps Score, by Bessel Van Der Kolk; Risk, by Stanley McChrystal; From Strength to Strength, by Arthur Brooks

MG: You're a lifelong learner and an avid reader, but with so much content online and in books, do you have any tips or recommendations to help people find good material?

One suggestion is to immerse yourself into one domain of study at a time and seek out multiple perspectives on that topic. People tend to jump from topic to topic without thoroughly digesting enough knowledge in a single area to formulate helpful opinions and guidance. Additionally, follow up on resources referenced in books and material you like and investigate those sources yourself. It's great to see if you came to the same conclusions or if it sparked new thoughts.?Many authors also include recommended reading lists in the back of their books; take time reading what your favorite authors read. Lastly, pay attention to the people who endorse the books you read. Many of them will be authors themselves and you can benefit from exploring their work.?

MG:?If someone wanted to get started in your field, what should they focus on?

CH: Build practical experience. Leadership is a contact sport. You need to get into the trenches and demonstrate the efficacy of your theories before anyone is going to want to be coached by you.?

MG: If you could wave a magic wand, what’s one thing you would change and why?

CH: I would want human beings to acknowledge and honor our interdependence. We're made for connection; we can't injure someone else without also injuring ourselves. Likewise, we can't help another without also helping ourselves. We experience humanity as a community of individuals. The truth is we are all inextricably connected to one another. Embracing this fundamental truth has the power to radically transform our experience of the world and the degree of meaning we find (or invent) in our lives.

MG: Outside of family and work, what are you really passionate about?

CH: Self-discipline, lifelong learning, and the Smoky Mountains.?

MG: If you could take a dream trip anywhere, where would you go?

CH: The present moment.?

MG: Do you have a favorite quote or pearls of wisdom that have inspired you?

CH: "Problems are the price of progress. Do not bring me anything but trouble; good news weakens me." —Charles Kettering?

MG: What’s the best way for people to get in contact with you?

LinkedIn: Charles "Chip" Huth

Company: https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/arbinger-institute/

Email: [email protected]

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About LinkedIn Spotlights

Over the years, I have worked alongside and connected with incredible people doing incredible things all over the world. Entrepreneurs, government and corporate leaders, as well as innovators from the non-profit and academia worlds. With a large and growing network on LinkedIn, I realized that I already know all of the people with whom I'm connected, but they may not know each other. So I created Spotlights as a vehicle to help me shine a light on amazing people and the work they do and introduce them to the rest of my network.?