Lance Was Right—It Wasn’t About the Bike

It was about EPO.

As a cycling fan, this breaks my heart. I’ve read the books, watched the races, and was convinced that it was extra hard work and determination that allowed Lance Armstrong to stand upon the podium seven times. In fact, I was a Greg LeMonde detractor when the three-time Tour winner accused Armstrong of cheating a few years ago. “Sour grapes,” was my thought. However, LeMonde has been vindicated in my eyes.

It isn’t just sports stars that struggle with cheating. Earlier this year former Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson was forced to step down because he lied on his resume. Integrity doesn’t appear to be a virtue we can expect people in the public spotlight to live up to. Just look at the fact checking that goes on after a Presidential debate or after one of the candidates make an important speech.

The last time I wrote about this I actually received feedback from a reader or two who felt like there were times when lying to the team or your employees was OK. I tend to take the view of President Dwight Eisenhower who said, “The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionable integrity. Without it, no real success is possible.”

The leaders I have responded to best over the years have been men of unquestionable integrity. As a business leader, without the trust of your team you will never have the ability to lead anyone anyplace.

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