Peter Laughter is a raconteur and speaker. In Peter’s words, that’s “a fancy way of saying I talk for a living.” For many years, Peter was an entrepreneur in the recruiting and staffing industry, but in 2020, he left that work behind and struck out into new territory.
Currently, Peter is building a career in public speaking as well as a consultancy that helps organizations deal with complexity by tapping into the insights, wisdom, and capabilities of their entire team.
According to Peter, the most interesting thing about him is that last year, he “blew up his life” to start a new one. Both he and his wife left their jobs and became nomads, looking for the lives they most wanted to lead. After about six months of travel, they found Frederick last October. And fell in love.
Extracurriculars
I’m an avid cyclist and storyteller. I love spending time with people and laughing uproariously. Most of all, I love riding roller coasters with my daughter.
Why we love Peter
Peter’s willingness to take risks and his desire to make meaningful contributions through his work makes him fit right in at Cowork Frederick. From knowing when it’s time to leave, to taking time for exploration, to crafting a purposeful career that he loves, Peter lives life deliberately. By embracing unconventional ideas, he’s changing our concept of leadership one talk at a time.
Q&A with Peter
What’s the story behind your work? How did you get into it?
About ten years ago, I had a transformational experience that dramatically shifted my understanding of leadership. I had grown up thinking that leaders needed to be the ones with the answers, the solutions, the ideas. But I realized that that version of leadership no longer applies in today’s world. And, that true leadership means that you are able to allow others to lead.
My talk, “The Pyramid Has Collapsed: Abundant Leadership for the Age of Complexity,” recognizes that humanity has entered the most disruptive and transformational period of time in human history. It is my core belief that the command-and-control orthodoxy that we’ve used to run our organizations and define our very understanding of leadership for the past 3,000 years is wholly incapable of surviving this time of intense change and complexity.
What’s a significant business-related mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
A significant mistake I made was staying too long in the recruiting and staffing industry and not recognizing the signs that I should leave. Thinking about it, I am reminded of a Buddhist koan: “Life is suffering, and suffering is the result of holding on to things that do not last.” I spent a lot of time accepting suffering rather than recognizing that I was holding on to something that was no longer relevant.
Cowork Frederick members tend to be a little unconventional. How does that apply to you?
I’m dyslexic and I have ADHD. I’ve found that those things fundamentally allow me to think differently. I’ve never been able to do things the way others can, and I’ve always had to find a different way. I never intended to be an entrepreneur; it was something I fell into, but I find that it suits me and gives me joy. That simple act of figuring out how something might be done in a different, more exciting way is something that gives me great pleasure. I’m also absolutely horrible at following directions.
Which of the guiding values defined by Cowork Frederick members speaks to you?
Right now, BALANCE is the most important thing to me. I left the recruiting and staffing industry in 2020 and have been pushing myself very hard to find a way into the distributed leadership space, which I’m currently working on. And I find that I am incredibly burnt out. So I am taking things as easy as I can right now after a long period of time of pouring way too much of my energy into my work.
Who/What inspires you and keeps you going?
I believe that all of humanity is deeply and profoundly connected in ways that we are aware of and ways that we are not. Because of that, my purpose in life is to lift up those connections so they are visible and tangible in all of our daily lives. For the first time in my life, I feel the business I am building is in complete alignment with my purpose. I find that pretty motivating and really exciting.
Why Cowork Frederick?
I’ve been spending time in coworking situations since 2008 and really love it. In the beginning, it was because I had younger staff who wanted to interact with other younger people, something they couldn’t find in our small office. But I quickly grew to love the fact that I could make connections outside of my space and have a vastly different experience of working.
Now that we’re in Frederick, I needed to escape the confines of our long-term Airbnb. And we don’t know anybody here. So, Cowork Frederick is the perfect place to start ingratiating myself into this wonderful community.
For those who want to learn more, how can you be reached?