The Tour is Over

Another special edition of the Weekend Update!

If you have been reading a few of my blogs and watching my Twitter and Facebook mentions...you know that I am disappointed in the Tour de France (TdF)!

I was initially disappointed that my biking hero Lance did not stand alone at the top of the podium!

I was happy that he was able to adapt to his plight and stand with Team Radio Shack on the podium as the best team!  That is leadership at its very best!

I was also disappointed in the racers!  The race leaders, who control the race, allowed self-serving decisions take precedence over tradition and the unwritten rules...as a result the TdF has lowered itself to the realm of the rest of the world's competition.  Prior to this it stood alone, seeped in tradition that controlled the players and kept everything on a perfectly level playing field!

The racers and the fans need to step back and take a look at it and decide what the race needs to be...

I hope that the majority wants the old TdF back.

There is not enough money being paid out to change it...it is a race of reputation...

These are the things that matter to real competitors...especially the bike racers in the TdF.

As it is with the TdF, it should also be within organizations...

Success is not to be lauded when it was given to the competitors by chance or an ill-fated circumstance on one of the competitors.  Integrity and fair play are important to long term success.  The competition is not so fierce that one compromises their ethics, morals or ideals to gain an advantage.

I could not sleep, if I won for a breach of any of those core values.

I could not sleep, if I had to lie to win...

I could not sleep, if I had to serve myself first and hurt others to keep a job...

And even more important...I could not face my family or my creator...if I acted in a way that compromised the integrity of my ethics or morals...

Yet I see organizational players doing this under the guise of politics...

Organizational politics can be a good thing!

That is if what one defines organizational politics as the give and take (negotiation) to create a win/win condition.

Many believe that organizational politics means deception and fear and threatening...

These are not traits of leaders...these things are traits of criminals!

It is wrong to be in a position of control within an organization and use that position for self-serving reasons...

The "Genius of the and" is found in having the "self's" needs met by meeting other's needs FIRST.

This is what builds trust and respect.

It is the actions of a true gentleman! (OK gentle-person!)

It is what disappeared from the TdF this year...and I hope that it comes back...

It is the "endangered species" within organizations...

If you use my "binary segmentation" classification...

In an organization...there are either the genteel or criminals!

It is your actions or behaviors that classify you...no excuses...

Decide where you want to be...and start consistently acting that way!

Enough said!