Chapter 3
Align bold action with right action
Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain
For years, Lance Armstrong dominated the world of professional cycling, building a multimillion dollar business around his seven consecutive Tour de France wins. Armstrong was the poster child of courage. Yet as the world discovered in 2012, the courage and determination Armstrong had demonstrated was built on deceitfulness. To the shock, disappointment and outrage of millions, we learned of the elaborate and devious measures Armstrong had gone to in order to evade being uncovered as the drug cheat he was.
Armstrong’s fall was sudden, steep and dramatic. Few could have imagined what Armstrong, hailed as a hero by so many, had been willing to do to win such glory, status and success on the world stage. As news of him being stripped of his titles and erased from the record books made the airways, I couldn’t help thinking what an immense shame it was that his boldness and courage was not matched by his integrity and character. His lack of it wounded us all.
Deciding to think bigger, stop playing safe and engage more courageously in what you do can transform your day-to-day experience of life and alter the trajectory of your career. But if your big goals and bold actions fail to honour your own core values, earn trust and show character, your efforts will unravel and your hard work come undone.
Alignment of bold action with right action is the foundation ...
