In today’s business world, the word “integrity” evokes a sense of honesty and trustworthiness. It carries connotations of right morals and impeccable values. However, its root tells a different story. Integrity comes from the Latin term integritas, meaning wholeness, entireness, or completeness. In relation to humankind, integrity actually means to have a complete soul, and when used to describe the character of business leaders, it speaks more of the individuals’ internal motivations than of their actions.
Warren Bryant, MBA ’82, chief executive officer of Longs Drug Stores since 2002, personifies the concept. Understanding that integrity encompasses a lifetime of internal transformations, Bryant credits his parents with planting the seed. “Like most of us, my business and life perspectives flow from how I was raised. The things I learned as a child served as a foundation for my life – I learned to be accountable and responsible, to tell the truth, and to do the right thing. These fundamental values follow all of us throughout our lives – if you don’t get it as a child, chances are you won’t get it as an adult.”
Bryant gets it. After witnessing decades of public business scandals, he stands secure in his philosophy. “People make bad ethical choices every day; people in leadership roles are no different. Sometimes, bad people get into high positions in big companies and do bad things. Sometimes, good people simply make honest mistakes,” said Bryant. “Either way, the bottom line is that business leaders are responsible for the people in their organizations. You can’t pass laws for every ethical situation. You have to have values and a core sense of high ethics because the laws will never cover the right thing to do in every circumstance. Leaders set the tone at the very top of the organization regarding how people behave, how they think about things, whether truth is really valued or merely given lip service.”
Longs employees get it, too. Bryant’s core message trickles down from the top, permeating the entire company culture. “Ethical business is the foundation of our company,” said Bryant. “First, it is in our mission statement. Second, we make sure we talk about that mission statement as well as our statement of values that leads off with the Golden Rule: Do for others as you would want them to do for you. We talk about our ethical obligations constantly. We follow the law, we tell the truth, we do what is right. Most important, we remind ourselves that we are role models and people are watching us.”
