During the past few months, sports fans around the world have watched the downfall of Lance Armstrong, the most celebrated cyclist of all time. His televised confession interview with Oprah Winfrey—where he admitted to doping, using blood transfusions, and more—riveted the public. But what interests me most about the Armstrong story are the lessons it offers the business world about the nature of teams.

I’ve come to see the truth in the statement, “the team is more powerful than the individual,” and this knowledge has permeated every aspect of my work and my life. Teams expand the human experience. They extend our wings in practical, pragmatic, and measurable ways. People who would not normally be able to succeed alone—the planners, the doers, those who lack the internal spark to market themselves—can reap the benefits of success in the context of teams.

Yet many teams have a dark side. When these darker impulses are allowed to eclipse the positive transcendence that teamwork can bring, great harm can result. Evil deeds flourish. People get hurt. Lance Armstrong is just one very dramatic and visible example of what can go wrong with teams.

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