The search for new paradigms of doing business

On Monday, June 21, Intersection’s Power and Values initiative hosted a meeting of its New York Values Roundtable to explore programming for the coming year. Intersections coordinates the roundtable of diverse interests to address the values gap in our financial and business communities, and currently works with representatives from New York Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, Auburn Seminary and Union Theological Seminary.

Amid a growing recognition that our financial collapse found its roots in a failure of integrity and accountability of the people at the top, a diverse group of faith, business, government, philanthropic, and educational leaders are engaged in dialogue on restoring core values in how we conduct business. The Monday night discussion was attended by diverse leaders including, among other: a Lenape Indian faith healer; an investment banker who had served in the “C suite” of a Fortune 10 company; a former senior executive of Lehman Brothers; a recently ordained minister from New York Theological Seminary and the minister of a church in New York; a senior executive from a real estate management firm who is also an ordained Rabbi; an executive coach; and a former government bank regulator.

As each person shared her or his own spiritual path that led to the roundtable meeting, the atmosphere began to focus on the values of cooperation.

“Deep bonds were being created between and among the participants,” said Sam Simon, Intersections Senior Fellow for Ethics and Values Programming. “We understood that to do our work, we also had to do “our work” and be capable of knowing our colleagues in a meaningful way.” Simon and other participants acknowledged that to engage in dialogue with those who come from radically different traditions and experiences “takes time.”

“Our goal is to expand our circle and our level of discourse to the point that we see mores and behaviors change,” said Simon.

The participants moved to a serious discussion of creating new models and paradigms within the finance and business communities. “We are looking for models that are based on values of humility, compassion, and fairness that makes for a civil society in which every human life is honored and enabled,” said Simon.

The Power and Values Program plans to work this coming year to expand these roundtable discussions and build its diversity and experiences. These roundtables are forums for participants who come from a number of diverse disciplines –– business, faith, education, government and philanthropy –– to engage those with power about the values they use to act and impact our larger society.

“This is a conversation that our nation desperately needs to have, and we plan on jump-starting that conversation through meaningful and respectful dialogues,” said Simon.