Here is an article from a newsletter from our friend, David Miller at Princeton’s Faith & Work Initiative looking back at the 00’s.  It’s an interesting look back to consider the highs and lows in the world and in business.

Time magazine recently called the 00's "The Decade from Hell." There were many global events that were hellish - some were human-made like the 9/11 terrorist attacks, bombs in the Madrid train station, and the genocide of Darfur, while others were nature-made, like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the Tsunami that killed 200,000 people in south east Asia.

Similarly, the business world had its own "Decade from Hell." What a contrast to the 1990's when corporate CEOs were named as Time magazine's "Person of the Year" three different times.  But in the 00's, some CEOs went from rock star status to a modern day Icarus, crashing to earth as their vanity melted the companies they once led.   

The 00's included two major recessions, and a seemingly unending stream of high-profile CEOs and major companies brought down by hubris, greed, and misuse of unrestrained power. Ken Lay and Bernie Ebbers ushered in the decade by bankrupting two once proud and premier companies, and Bernie Madoff closed the decade by bilking investors and charities out of an estimated $65bn through a Ponzi scheme of unimagined scale.

Did Time Miss the Bigger Story?  

But wait - was there not also a little bit of heaven in the '00s?  For every fallen and failed Ken Lay, Bernie Ebbers, or Bernie Madoff, aren't there hundreds if not thousands of business leaders who wake up each morning driven by their business not their bonus, dedicated to their employees not their egos, and committed to serve not to steal? 

In my research through the Princeton Faith & Work Initiative, I have found countless men and women who excel with integrity in business. For many of these leaders, their ethical dealings, their sense of business as a calling, and the ability to find meaning and purpose in their work are all in some part shaped, formed, and sustained by their faith tradition.  Further, these people - and perhaps you're one of them - have the opportunity to influence the ethos and excellence of their organization and industry sector.

Time magazine may never feature you and others like you as "Business Persons of the Decade."  But we at the Princeton Faith & Work Initiative do, and thank you.

Best wishes for your own faith and work initiatives in the decade ahead.