To create a slight change of pace from the nonstop sport focus, we took a visit out to Canary Wharf in the London Docklands area to visit Carleton alum and current CEO of Barclays Corporate Banking, John Winter ('85). At Carleton he was a star American football wide receiver and in track and field helped the 400-meter relay squad place fourth at the NCAA Championships in 1985. He is a firm believer that the most valuable learning at Carleton happens outside of the classroom (I think I've heard Stevie-P say this once or twice...). For Winter, the biggest classroom was outside on the gridiron or the track. This is where all the most valuable life skills can be developed he argued. Teamwork, passion, dedication, ambition, and a winning mentality have been critical to his life's success.
As a fun aside, John shared a story about the perks that can come with working high up in Barclays. The English Premier League is sponsored by Barclays and so it is tradition to have the CEO or president there to present the trophy to the league champion. Last year, when Manchester United won the title, John was asked to be there to walk out as a representative for the company during the ceremony. Winter lucked out and ended up handing out the medals to each player as they walked by. He said his son was pretty impressed by the air time he got on TV.
Coming from a modest family background, John was incredibly earnest about stating up front his main motivation for going into banking—money. I don't think anyone can feasibly argue that he has failed to achieve that goal. In fact, he has blown that goal to smithereens. But the question on most of our young minds was of course, how did he do it? John shared a few bits of advice for success:
1) Stop watching TV (*gasp* but what about How I Met your Mother and the Super Bowl??). He say says it is an incredible waste of time and dramatically depletes one's productivity, knowledge, and creativity. TV and screens seem second nature to our generation, but there are obviously many other options out there.
2) Stay healthy. If you don't exercise regularly and get enough sleep, you simply cannot be effective or cope with the demands of the banking lifestyle. John illustrated this with a thought experiment. We were asked to prioritize our work, relationships, and personal health. The result: relationships, then health, then work. Next he added in a crucial game-changing assumption...FINALS WEEK. Of course, in the new rankings we unanimously placed work first, then health and relationships a distant second. For John, he said every week of his life is like finals week. It's up to you to decide if that sounds like it's worth the stress and sacrifice! However, he did make a very good point that no matter what you end up doing, if you want to succeed at it you will have to make sacrifices and tough decisions. It's all about finding a passion that you feel worth doing it for—or at least that is how the Career Advisor in me feels.
3) Work hard. Diligence, grit, and perseverance can get you very far. He told a great story about his friend who showed his tenacity by working the trading floor standing up with no desk for an entire month to show his commitment to the job.
4) Be Smart. As in be smart enough, you don't need to be a genius. Going to Carleton certainly doesn't hurt!
5) Be on time. His definition: get there before your boss does.
So, there you have it, five steps for success from a very financially and professionally successful man.
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