兰斯•阿姆斯特朗如何东山再起

    十五年前，兰斯•阿姆斯特朗成立了一家致力于帮助癌症患者的非盈利机构，成为最成功的同类机构之一。之后，阿姆斯特朗的Livestrong基金会已募集超过4.7亿美元，曾帮助超过550家机构进行癌症存活研究，或为癌症患者提供服务。

    这还不包括阿姆斯特朗帮助基金会在德克萨斯州赢得的一场大胜。该州选民通过一项公投，保证出资30亿美元用于支持癌症研究。

    眼下，这位著名运动员和癌症康复者身为耐克（Nike）等多个国际品牌的代言人却遭到人们的普遍唾弃，他又该何去何从？

    与其他不光彩的公众人物一样，我们可以预见，他可能会出书披露内幕，或者拍电影，亦或通过其他活动，充分利用重塑形象的努力给自己生财。但目前来看，阿姆斯特朗所有环法自行车赛冠军头衔和一块奥运会铜牌都被剥夺，同时还失去了所有品牌赞助，职业生涯已经陷入谷底。阿姆斯特朗一直服用能够提高比赛成绩的药物，而且他以前的队友爆料称，阿姆斯特朗还胁迫他们服用禁药。要想修复之前勤奋的形象，他得付出一生的时间。

    但给阿姆斯特朗恢复信誉造成最大困难的或许并不是禁药丑闻。《闭嘴，说点什么：克服挑战与影响听众的商业沟通策略》（Shut Up and Say Something: Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners）一书的作者凯伦•弗里德曼认为，阿姆斯特朗屡次拒绝承认撒谎和欺骗，“造成了严重的信用问题”，仅仅在奥普拉•温弗里的节目中道歉是解决不了的。她说：“随着时间的推移，人们可以原谅，但却不会忘记。”

    不过，许多背负丑闻的名人最终都成功赢回了粉丝的支持，还再次得到公众的认可。比如，2003年，科比•布莱恩特因被控强奸而几乎名誉扫地。“摆脱刑事上的麻烦后，科比立刻在赛场上给球队带来了胜利，并接受媒体采访和参与慈善工作，同时避免再次犯错，”《即时幸存者：如何应对不利局面》（The Instant Survivor: Right Ways to Respond to When Things Go Wrong）一书的作者吉姆•摩尔海德说。多年以后，布莱恩特不仅在赛场上取得成功，并且成为雪碧（Sprite）、麦当劳（McDonalds）、耐克、阿迪达斯（Adidas）和其他许多品牌的代言人。而导致阿姆斯特朗步入歧途的竞争个性也可能有助于他重新获得公众好感，正如当年的迈克尔•米尔肯。迈克尔•米尔肯便是臭名昭著的“垃圾债券之王”，上世纪90年代初，因证券欺诈而锒铛入狱。与阿姆斯特朗一样，他也是一位癌症幸存者。米尔克将其巨大的影响力和巨额财富全部贡献到癌症研究当中，2004年《财富》杂志（Fortune）的专题报道称米尔肯是“改变医学的人。”

    Fifteen years ago, Lance Armstrong launched one of the most successful nonprofit organizations to address the needs of people affected by cancer. Since then, Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation has raised more than $470 million to help more than 550 organizations conduct cancer survivorship research or offer services to people affected by cancer.

    That doesn't include a big win Armstrong helped score for the foundation's home state of Texas, where voters passed a referendum guaranteeing $3 billion in funding for cancer research.

    So what happens now that there's egg all over the public face of such a prominent athlete and cancer survivor who's also built a business as an ambassador for global brands like Nike (NKE)?

    As is the case with many a disgraced public figure, we should expect things like a tell-all book, a movie deal, and other income-producing endeavors that take full advantage of an attempted return to glory. For now though, stripped of all of his Tour de France titles, an Olympic bronze medal, and all of his brand sponsorships, Armstrong has hit career rock-bottom. He's been exposed for using performance-enhancing drugs and some of his former teammates say that they were bullied by Armstrong to take them as well. He will need to put in a lifetime's worth of diligent image rehab.

    But it may not be the doping scandal that'll prove hardest on Armstrong's reputational comeback. Karen Friedman, author of Shut Up and Say Something: Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners, argues that Armstrong's repeated failure to take ownership of lying and cheating "causes a huge credibility problem" that may not be easily swept away by apologizing with Oprah Winfrey. "Over time, people tend to forgive, but not forget," she says.

    Then again, plenty of shamed high-profile personalities have found their way back into the hearts of fans and scored endorsements again. Take Kobe Bryant, whose reputation took a major nosedive after being accused of rape in 2003. "After his criminal troubles ended, he immediately resumed his on-court triumphs, access to reporters, and charitable work, while avoiding any further trouble," says Jim Moorhead, author of The Instant Survivor: Right Ways to Respond to When Things Go Wrong. Years later, Bryant is a success both on the court and as the face of Sprite, McDonalds (MCD), Nike, Adidas, and other brands.

    Armstrong's competitive nature, which led him astray, might also help accelerate his path back into the public's good graces, much like Michael Milken. The notorious former "junk bond king," who went to federal prison for securities fraud in the early 1990s, is a cancer survivor like Armstrong. Milken devoted his considerable influence and wealth to cancer research, prompting a 2004 Fortune feature story proclaiming Milken as "The Man Who Changed Medicine."