Excluding God from business

I am still in Canada

Nortel Networks Corp of Canada fired its CEO Gary Daichendt for praying. Daichendt told colleagues that he had prayed with his wife for guidance the night before an important decision.

That statement became a defining moment in Mr. Daichendt's stormy, short-lived tenure at Nortel... [T]his devout Christian from California has been portrayed in the press as a religious zealot who not only talked about prayer but also told the Nortel board he had a message from God to depose the incumbent CEO.

Mr. Daichendt adamantly denies he made that divinely ordered power play, but concedes "I prayed with my wife. That's a true statement because I am a man of faith.

Daichendt is not reported to have proselytized his coworkers.

Higher ethics are now demanded from corporate officers

but not necessarily more religion.

Yet it is hard to disentangle the two. Mr. Daichendt was welcomed into troubled Nortel because he was grounded in strong ideals...

Well it is a complete package. If you welcome a Christian for his strong ideals don't be surprised at his faith. And it makes no sense to fire a leader for using his strength - his faith.

Toronto Globe and Mail, Monday 8/8/2005, page B10. I can't find it online, but here is the Globe and Mail.