Leadership

Moral Pupose:

Lance Armstrong set out with the goal of being the premier professional cyclist of his time, and winning the Tour de France was the way he decided to achieve that goal.  Lance paralleled this initial goal with the newly identified goal of trying to raise money to find a cure for cancer.  The goal to find a cure is one that was personal to him because of his adversity, but is truly about achieving Fullan’s moral purpose by helping others (2001).  This is done by raising money using his success as a cyclist and a cancer survivor to rally support for the cause.

The Change Process:

Lance’s initial goal required a “herculean commitment” and effort to win a single Tour de France, let alone to win seven straight (Zimmerman, 2005).  Lance epitomized the work ethic that we teach children, work hard, stay positive, try your best, do not make excuses.  Cycling on the roads, Lance and his team strategized and adapted to various adversities in the form of opponents.  The team developed strategies but would have to adapt to the circumstances presented and continued to persevere to succeed.  Fullan suggested that leaders must know when change is necessary and be able to change (2001).  Lance’s success was largely due to the success of his teammates and their adaptations to adversities (Lance’s Bio, 2011).

Building Relationships:

This was effective for Lance when it was necessary to build a strong team to support his initial goal and was crucial in developing the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  His work ethic and attitude made it easy for people to buy into his ideals and become part of the Lance Armstrong team.  The Lance Armstrong foundation was easy to support because people appreciated Lance’s work ethic and were more than willing to support such a noble cause.  The cause could have a huge impact on the health in society and was supported by diverse groups, as suggested by Fullan (2001).

Coherence:

The Lance Armstrong Foundation has experienced great success because people were able to relate to the struggles that Lance Armstrong faced.  Those who were experiencing similar adversities to Lance were more than willing to rally to support for Lance in the pursuit towards a cure for cancer.  Fullan suggests that “Effective leaders guide people through differences and enables people to surface while creating coherence” (Fullan, 2001).

Knowledge:

Success on the roads required training and evaluation of the courses that helped Lance and his team understand where their strengths would prevail in the mountain stages of the Tour de France.  His Foundation needed to understand the overwhelming demands of cancer research and how the money raised would generate more donations and how it would best benefit the cure for cancer.  This supports Fullan’s belief that leaders and their organizations must continue to grow and learn what will help them, both inside and outside the organization (2001).

References:

Fullan, Michael (2001). Learning to Lead Change: Building System Capacity. Retrieved from http://www.michaelfullan.ca/resource_assets/ms_annotations/fullan1.htm

Zimmerman, J, Armstrong and the Price of Winning, Philadelphia Enquirer, August 2^nd, 2005

Bandes, J.,  LIVE STRONG;THEIR BANDS OF COURAGE, Clearwater Times, January 25^th, 2004 Pg. 1

Lance’s Bio. (Feb 2011). Retrieved from http://www.lancearmstrong.com/

Lance's Story (Feb 2011) Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.org/Who-We-Are/Our-History/Lance-s-Story

Lance's Turning Point

Lance Armstrong has demonstrated his unmatched athletic ability by winning seven consecutive Tour de France championships.  His perseverance was critical to his success in cycling and is what people admire in Lance.  People recognize the struggles involved with overcoming cancer, yet Lance never called himself a victim, he always referred to himself as a cancer survivor.  Lance’s improbable comeback was inspiring and made people feel as though there is always hope and that they too can create their own comeback (Bandes, 2004).

Lance’s fight against cancer was a critical point in his life and his career.  His recovery from cancer inspired the creation of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was established prior to his successful return to professional cycling (Lance’s Bio, 2011).  His foundation awarded its first research grant two years after he was diagnosed with cancer and as he began his comeback to cycling.  More than ten years after the inception of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Foundation continues to raise millions of dollars, award numerous research grants, supports other cancer fighters and cancer survivors, among many other charitable endeavors (Lance’s Story, 2011).  

A key to Lance’s success was his failure in his first year’s return to the Tour de France.  His return to the Tour resulted in a stage struggle where he pulled off the roadside and failed to continue the remainder of the Tour.  While many believe this was the end of his career, Lance used the opportunity to refocus his priorities and began his new relationship with cycling (Lance’s Bio, 2011).  Lance had a unique ability to recognize that he was not quite ready and began the mental recovery that needed to be paired with his physical recovery to compete effectively.  It is this self awareness that helped Lance in his success as he models dedication and constant improvement; Lance is a relentless leader who is leads by example.

References:

Bandes, J.,  LIVE STRONG;THEIR BANDS OF COURAGE, Clearwater Times, January 25^th, 2004 Pg. 1

Lance’s Bio. (Feb 2011). Retrieved from http://www.lancearmstrong.com/

Lance's Story (Feb 2011) Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.org/Who-We-Are/Our-History/Lance-s-Story

Why Lance!

I chose Lance Armstrong as my leader because my sister-in-law passed away from brain cancer, my wife’s best friend passed away due to a rare form of bladder cancer.  Both were 29 when they passed.  I watched them struggle in their unsuccessful fight against cancer.  Two years later I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had to deal with various treatments and the anxiety that accompanies the diagnosis.  I personally appreciate how difficult Lance’s rebound must have been.

Lance Armstrong began his professional cycling career in 1992 after great success as an amateur cyclist and tri-athlete.  In 1996, Lance was diagnosed with testicular cancer that spread into his lungs, abdomen, and brain; immediate surgery and chemotherapy were required to save his life and begin his recovery.  According to Lance Armstrong's official website (2011), Doctors gave Lance less than 50% chance of survival, yet Lance chose an alternative treatment that would be less toxic to his system, specifically his lungs.

After his recovery, Lance began his return into his professional cycling career in 1998.  Although his first year back in cycling was not very successful, he continued to work and returned to the Tour de France in 1999 where he won four stages and the overall Tour championship.  Lance continued to win the Tour de France over the next six years.  Not only did Lance return from cancer and have unprecedented success in the sport of cycling, he also started his cancer foundation and raised millions of dollars for cancer research (LanceArmstrong.com, 2011).  His leadership is seen through is constant drive through incredible adversity, while having the consideration to utilized his success for philanthropic endeavors.

References:

Lance’s Bio. (Feb 2011). Retrieved from http://www.lancearmstrong.com/
Lance's Story (Feb 2011) Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.org/Who-We-Are/Our-History/Lance-s-Story