Peter Carter Lessons Learned
Name and BC class year: Peter M. Carter, P’22, ’24
Branch of service: US Army Aviation, Active Duty 1988–1991
Your current title and profession: Managing Director, UBS Wealth Management Banking
I have always been amazed at the extent to which my time as a USMA cadet and brief stint as an active duty Army officer laid the foundation for my professional career, and how the lessons learned in uniform translate to leadership in a corporate and civilian setting. Whether it was planning and executing air assault operations as a pilot-in-command in California at the National Training Center, or dunk tank training at Naval Air Station, Miramar, timeless principles applied then are seamlessly relevant for me and used in my business today. Among many, three concepts stand out:
- Set the example. As a leader, you’re being watched and listened to and assessed, 360 degrees, up and down. I try to display the traits sought in others such as work ethic, empathy, discipline and attention to detail. Since all very large organizations have elements of politics, bad apples or other dysfunctional features, I try to always ‘be the change’ that is necessary to move from good to great. Timeless maxims which I remind myself of include ‘when in charge, be in charge’ and ‘lead, follow, or get out of the way’. In a corporate setting, it takes principled leaders to effect change, particularly in highly-regulated bureaucracies; I try, when driving initiatives, to have a mastery of the salient facts, a vision for the end state, and a passionate commitment to execute. Just as soldiers follow leaders they admire and respect, so too do colleagues follow corporate leaders who embody the values to which they aspire.
- Take care of your soldiers (employees). Just as I counseled my pilots and crews — coaching, mentoring and supporting their goals, I now frequently engage each member of my team individually on development and ‘paying it forward’ to the next generation of professionals. In an urgent project at the start of the pandemic, with billions of dollars of capital to be deployed, I relentlessly delegated to a hand-picked team of subordinates, supporting each as necessary but never making a decision which could be made by others; I then passed along credit downstream and took responsibility for criticism which engenders in a team a fierce loyalty and a willingness to run through a wall. Just as the platoon leader is the last to eat in the chow line, I try to now always make sure my team has what it needs to succeed above all.
- Focus on the ‘why’: Although this is more widely known as a corporate maxim, the military nexus includes not only individual mission planning, communication and dissemination of operations orders, but the higher-level Army values as well. Soldiers and staff alike will follow leaders through fire when they understand the big picture, a strong plan and their role in the task at hand. Routinely in my training operations, leaders at multiple levels are ‘killed’ prior to crossing the line of departure so that subordinates can fulfill roles of their seniors. This training principle corresponds to how I develop staff to succeed at the next level in business; the crawl, walk, run approach to assuming ever-increasing leadership responsibilities.
Like many of you I’m sure, my time in the military was a priceless leadership lab but more importantly an honor to serve among a selfless group of citizen-soldiers. It has been humbling to see the post 9–11 cohort take up arms with the tenacity of the Greatest Generation. And for those who leave the military for careers in business, law, medicine or government, the timeless leadership lessons in uniform will never leave you and will serve you well, no doubt, in your future endeavors.
Army Strong!
