When you join the U.S. Army, you learn a thing or two about leadership. After 26 years of leadership experience in the military and Fortune 500 companies, Tim Huff, ACC, is stepping into the next chapter of his career – leadership development.
TLG is excited to introduce Tim as the Vice President of Leadership Development, where Tim will leverage his dynamic experience and skills to help TLG launch and refine product offerings while coaching clients. Tim’s passion for helping others tap into their greatness will propel TLG to new heights, furthering our mission of spreading leadership character around the globe.
In this exclusive interview, Tim shares his incredible journey and how his experiences formed his passion for leadership.
Q: Tell us about your journey here through the U.S. Army and as a senior leader.
My military journey started in high school when I lived in the Republic of Panama. My father was a U. S. Army officer stationed there at the time, leading an infantry battalion of about 700 soldiers. As his unit participated in several actions during Operation Just Cause, I witnessed firsthand the powerful impact a leader can have on teams, especially in high-stress situations. I knew I wanted to continue our family’s long history of military service, so I joined ROTC at Clemson University.
Being commissioned as an Infantry Second Lieutenant in 1994, I graduated from Airborne School, Air Assault Course, Infantry Officer Course, Ranger School, and joined the 25th Infantry Division as a Platoon Leader stationed in Hawaii. After a few adventure-filled years and more schooling, I joined the 1st Cavalry Division in Texas as a Captain, leading an infantry company of around 100 soldiers. After a few years and deployment to Bosnia, I decided to transition to a new phase of life, left the active Army, and joined the Florida National Guard as I began a career in Information Technology.
Life After Service
My IT career started in the Strategy Office at Walt Disney World IT in Orlando, FL. It took time to get up to speed as an IT professional, but I had wonderful mentors who helped shape my leadership style. My ten years at Disney were an incredible time, where I gained invaluable leadership experience as a manager of very talented engineers and developers building world-class IT assets. During this time, I deployed with the Florida National Guard to Afghanistan for a year, leading the operations center for a 3000-soldier brigade. In 2011, after leaving the National Guard, I had a career growth opportunity to move to the Atlanta area and join the Macy’s Technology team, where I worked alongside more amazing IT professionals. Over the next six years, I continued my leadership journey at two other top-tier Global Fortune 500 companies, CRH and Owens & Minor.
After falling in love with leadership coaching a few years ago, I became a Certified Executive Coach, opening a small side practice serving other IT professionals in their leadership journeys. I began my transition to full-time Executive Coaching and Leadership Development early in 2022 as I became more involved in the great work and inspiring mission of Turknett Leadership Group.
Q: What made you fall in love with coaching?
Several years ago, as a new IT Vice President at CRH, I was fortunate to work for leaders who understood the power and benefits of executive coaching. The company invested in an executive coach for our IT executive team, and wow, what a truly transformative experience it was for us as individuals and a team. Having had no experience with a coach before, I didn’t know what to expect, but going through the year-long experience provided new insights and perspectives for me that leveled up my leadership abilities. I’m still reaping the benefits several years later.
Having received the benefits of coaching and seeing its transformative power firsthand, I wanted to share this gift with others. With encouragement from my coach and my leadership, I decided to explore the art of coaching more deeply and earned a certification from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as well as the Center for Executive Coaching (CEC).
Q: Tell us about your role with TLG as the Vice President of Leadership Development?
In my new role with TLG, I will be focusing heavily on coaching leaders in all phases of their leadership journey, ranging from high-potential junior leaders who are shaping their style, to senior executives and C-Suite professionals who are looking to smooth out the edges of their leadership or level up their influence in their organizations. In addition, I will be dedicating a lot of time to building and refining the products we’re bringing to the market, such as the new Manager 2 Leader program that is getting a lot of positive reactions.
Q: It appears you like to travel. What’s been your favorite destination and why?
Yes, I love to travel and gain new experiences. Earlier this year, I spent time in the southern part of Chile in the Patagonia region, as well as Portugal and Spain. Although I love hiking and spending time exploring exciting destinations, my happy place is a comfortable beach chair, a sunny day, waves crashing on the shore, and a cold drink in my hand! I love the peace and serenity of a beautiful beach day. My family goes to Pawley’s Island every summer, just south of Myrtle Beach, SC. Of all the places I’ve been to, the beaches of Pawley’s Island are my favorite destination.
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