We recently sat down with Arturo Rosado-Martir, HUECU Branch Manager for the Charlestown Navy Yard and the Assembly Row Partners HealthCare System facility, to capture his reflections on his first year working at Harvard and learn why his philosophy of leaving things better than he found them has helped his career and stoked his passion for helping people.
HUECU: How would you describe your role here at Harvard?
Arturo: My role at the credit union is to be a leader in the communities that we serve. It is a very personable environment for customers and back of house employees. I find myself supporting people along different lines of businesses and wearing many hats. At the end of the day, leading and supporting others around me is the most important. Being a Branch Manager is secondary; my primary function of helping people is what I really enjoy.
HUECU: What makes you the most proud about working at HUECU?
Arturo: First, the legacy aspect of our parent organization, Harvard University, carries its own meaning and sense of value. Secondly, every day I come to an environment where I can help others. My focus is the wellbeing of my team, my peers, and the community we support. It puts in the forefront of my mind that we are in business to be more than a bank, we are a benefit. Harvard’s culture and outlook aligns well with the places I’ve worked before. It feels like a nature fit in my career journey. Coming to Harvard added and elevated what I already had.
HUECU: What would you say are the top attributes or skills that have helped you succeed?
Arturo: Throughout my entire career, I have received consistent feedback that I am good at being authentic, making connections, and being present. At the end of the day, I like to give a piece of myself to others because when you invest yourself genuinely and authentically in others, you get the best out of them. That governing energy of being positive, projecting positivity, and being courteous to everyone- no matter the outcome -that goes a long way. I would never say no to a job. It might seem silly, but I like this quote from Winnie-the-Pooh, “I always get to where I'm going by walking away from where I've been.” Have a resolute and unwavering willingness to move forward and bring others with you.
HUECU: How do you kick start your day to maximize productivity?
Arturo: Making my bed in the morning kick-starts my day. It starts this streak of everything else I touch throughout the day; I try to leave it better than I found it. My brother was in the Marines. He always told me that one of the key things they make them do is always make their bed. It’s just a very small way to keep things in order. Your home is an extension of yourself. If that’s in order, then everything else is order. It’s an exercise in leaving things better than you found them. I find it zen and relaxing. Putting things in order is something I enjoy. I’ve always felt that if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right.
HUECU: What are your favorite books/resources for personal/professional growth?
Arturo: I have read a million books on leadership and the one that stood out over time and has had the most transformative effect on me is Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell. The overarching theme of the book is about not shying away from participating and being involved. There are Managers and there are Leaders. People are meant to be led and processes are meant to be managed. It’s not about concrete best practices. It is about bring present and participating in the process of what it means to do what you do. The book positions the idea that you should know your business operations and be willing to share it with others. While at the Walt Disney Company, I had the pleasure of being good friends and working alongside the author’s son, who had a leadership role in the creative process for the park. We always talked a lot about company culture, and attention and commitment to details, going the extra mile. This book highlights the importance of that.
HUECU: What are you hopeful for in 2019?
Arturo: Right now the credit union is going through a period of growth and there are many opportunities for everyone to learn and grow. I want to make sure I am the best leader I can be, so that my people can take advantage of everything that is available. I want to encourage people to say yes, take a chance, and don’t be afraid to learn something new. And personally, I hope that, as a society, we keep walking towards better things in general for everyone, to honor those who came before us and to serve those yet to come. I hope we will leave things better than we found them.
Stop by and meet Arturo in-person! HUECU’s Charlestown Navy Yard location is inside Building 149. Employees of Partners HealthCare System may visit our location at Assembly Row inside the East Building, Suite 345.
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*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
