Wall Street investor Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years Monday. Madoff serves as this week’s (or month’s? or year’s?) chilling warning of what happens when one repeatedly silences the stirrings of one’s soul.

Bernard Madoff had spent many years working his “magic” on Wall Street, returning high yields on investments for philanthropists and private investors. Six months ago the news broke that he was engaging in shady practices all along, and had lost more than $50 billion of the money entrusted to him.

Leaders who silence their souls and then point the finger outside themselves are nothing new. Prophets throughout the ages have spoken truth to such leaders. As Nathan the prophet said to King David when confronting him with his immorality, “You are the man.”

The corrosion of leaders’ souls is a timeless problem. What is timely for us in this moment in history, is that we, like Nathan the prophet, name greed and corruption for what it is. Furthermore, we must see to it that the society we are building rewards soulful leaders and rejects soulless leaders. We also need media that not only carries out its mandate to do investigative reporting about soulless leaders, but also shines its light on soulful leaders.

Madoff serves as a timeless warning of what soulless leadership in finance looks like. May our financial institutions stand up to the likes of Madoff. With the financial crisis the U.S. and the world are facing, if ever we needed our leaders and the media to stand for soulful leadership in finance, it is now.

Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work” and "The Soul of a Leader" works with leaders in healthcare, business, churches, government and non-profits to help them stay true to their souls. Visit her website at www.ExecutiveSoul.com. © Copyright 2009 by Margaret Benefiel.