In 1969, the world held its breath as Neil Armstrong emerged from the Eagle lunar module and took his first step onto the moon's surface. "That's one small step for man," he declared, "one giant leap for mankind."
The moon landing wasn't just a historic win in the space race—it was a triumph of integrity. NASA could have cut corners or compromised safety to beat their competitors. Instead, they achieved their ambitious goal while upholding their highest values, demonstrating what true success looks like: winning with integrity.
The False Choice Between Winning and Success
Have you ever found yourself pushing your team past healthy limits just to meet a deadline? Or wrestling with an ethical decision because you didn't want to disappoint upper management? Many of us feel torn between delivering results quickly and staying true to our values.
My friend and mentor Chris Holmberg, founder of Middle Path Consulting, argues that this is a false binary—a "sucker's choice." In his work with organizations, Chris proposes that true excellence requires integrating winning (achieving our goals) with success (operating in alignment with our aspirational values).
When we pursue winning at all costs, we reduce all of our values down to just one—the win itself. This myopic focus might deliver short-term results, but it erodes trust, alienates clients, and drives away talented employees. When we focus solely on process without results, we fail to achieve the outcomes required to keep our doors open. Either extreme leads to the same destination: failure and unsustainability.
When Integrity Meets Ambition: The NASA Example
This integration is powerfully illustrated by NASA's critical decision in the early Apollo program. In the wake of the tragic Apollo 1 fire that claimed the lives of three astronauts, NASA faced immense pressure to maintain President Kennedy's ambitious timeline of landing on the moon before the end of the 1960s.
They could have prioritized the timeline over safety—a pure "winning" approach. Instead, they paused, meticulously re-examined their systems, and overhauled their safety protocols. They chose to pursue their goal while honoring their commitment to their astronauts' lives—a decision that reveals their commitment to true success.
When Winning Trumps Integrity: The Cost of Cutting Corners
When organizations focus solely on winning at the expense of success, the costs can be devastating. In 2015, Volkswagen was exposed for installing illegal software in their diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests. This deception temporarily boosted sales, but eventually led to a massive recall, billions in fines, criminal charges, and severe damage to the company's reputation.
VW "won" in the short term by posting impressive sales figures, but their victory crumbled because it lacked integrity. They sacrificed their broader values for market dominance, and the result was near catastrophic. They lost the trust of customers, regulators, and the public.
The Theranos scandal provides another sobering example. Founded by Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos claimed to have developed revolutionary blood-testing technology that could run hundreds of tests from just a few drops of blood. The company reached a $9 billion valuation before investigations revealed the technology simply didn't work as claimed. When truth emerged, they lost everything—investors, partners, customers, and credibility. Their collapse reminds us that when winning is divorced from ethical success, the consequences aren't just moral; they're existential.
Finding the Balance: Integration in Action
On the flip side, when we become too fixated on perfect processes, we can get stuck in analysis paralysis—never bringing our goals to fruition. Imagine if NASA had gotten so bogged down in safety protocols that they never made it to the launch pad! Organizations that prioritize ideals without execution eventually fail because they can't deliver on their promises to their stakeholders.
The key is integrating winning and success, with a heightened emphasis on acting with integrity. Companies like Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's exemplify this approach, achieving impressive business results while maintaining an unwavering commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
Patagonia has consistently prioritized environmental responsibility while growing its brand and revenue—even encouraging customers to repair gear rather than buy new products. Ben & Jerry's built a globally recognized brand while advocating for social justice and fair trade sourcing, maintaining their values even after acquisition by Unilever.
Costco provides another compelling example. While many retailers cut costs through low wages and minimal benefits, Costco has maintained some of the highest employee compensation in retail. This approach has resulted in lower turnover, higher productivity, and stronger customer service—all contributing to their impressive financial performance. They've proven that treating employees well isn't just ethically sound; it's good business.
REI's "Opt Outside" campaign—closing stores on Black Friday and encouraging employees and customers to enjoy the outdoors instead—seems counterintuitive to traditional retail strategy. Yet this bold move reinforced their values, strengthened customer loyalty, and ultimately enhanced their brand position and business results.
The sustainability of these companies stems from this integration—they've built systems where competitive advantage comes from living their values rather than compromising them.
Cultivating the Integration
So how can we bring this integration into our daily leadership? Here are some practical steps:
Before diving into any new initiative or for that matter any challenging conversation, define both winning and success: Clarify not just what outcomes you hope to achieve, but how you will conduct yourself(selvs) along the way.
Check in regularly: Ask yourself and your team if you're staying true to your aspirational values or if you're cutting corners to get the win.
Celebrate the how, not just the what: As leaders, I think it's important to recognize and reward not just exceptional outcomes, but also honorable methods.
Align metrics with values: Ensure that how you measure performance reflects what you truly value.
The Long View: Sustainability Through Integration
This principle connects to what psychologists discovered in the famous marshmallow experiment: children who could resist eating one marshmallow immediately in favor of receiving two marshmallows later were found to have better life outcomes. At some level, they seeme to understand that true success often means foregoing short-term wins for longer-term rewards.
The sustainability of our careers, teams, and organizations depends on this integration. Companies that chase quarterly profits through unsustainable practices eventually face reckoning—whether through talent exodus, regulatory penalties, or market corrections. When we reduce our values to just "winning," we're likely to destroy the trust and relationships that make continued success possible. Conversely, organizations clinging to ideals without delivering results quickly become irrelevant.
The integration of winning and success isn't just about ethics—it's about creating systems and cultures that can thrive in the long term. It's about building businesses that survive and flourish because they've maintained trust while consistently delivering value.
Taking the Next Step: An Invitation
These principles of integrating winning and success aren't just theoretical concepts—they're practical approaches that transform how we lead and the results we achieve. Throughout my career, I've seen firsthand how leaders who embrace this integration create more sustainable outcomes and more fulfilling work environments. It's this experience that drives my passion for helping others develop these critical leadership skills.
And this is precisely why I regularly offer Leadership and the Middle Path workshops, based on Chris Holmberg's transformative approach. During these interactive experiences, managers gain practical tools to:
Make tough decisions ethically and sustainably
Solve problems more collaboratively
Integrate winning and success in daily tasks of leadership
Whether you have new managers stepping into their first managerial roles or seasoned leaders looking to level up, this workshop can help your organization develop leadership practices that honor both results and values.
A Legacy of Integrity
In the end, our legacy is shaped not just by what we accomplish, but how we accomplish it. I invite you to aim high while staying grounded in your values. Join me in taking that "one small step" that could become a "giant leap" for you, your team, and your organization.
Ready to integrate winning and success in your leadership? Schedule a conversation with me to discuss your specific needs or go ahead and reserve your seats today.
Many thanks to Maria Ginsbourg for her help with editing and creative-thinking tasks!
The leadership development curriculum I teach—including the battle-tested Leadership and the Middle Path—was designed and developed by world-class organizational development expert Chris Holmberg of Middle Path Consulting.
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