One person who taught me a great deal about being fearless was my childhood friend, Jennifer Goodman Linn, a Duke and Harvard Business School graduate and marketing executive who, this week, at just 40 years old, lost her seven-year battle with a soft tissue cancer called sarcoma.

FORBES: What Does it Mean to Be Fearless?

Earning a reputation for being a fearless, aggressive competitor, Vinokourov had proven that he could pull his weight in the Tour.

NPR: Tour de France 2007: Top Contenders

In truth, many a global leader today likes the idea of being the conductor, or perhaps the lone and fearless captain at the helm.

BBC: Davos 2013: Leaders fail to inspire trust