Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer to Leaders: Put Your Phones Away and Listen to Employees

Brewer, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance and one of only two Black female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, says inclusion and equity are about making employees feel seen and heard.
HBR editor in chief Adi Ignatius sat down with Brewer in this episode of our video series “The New World of Work” to talk about:
• How inclusion and equity-making employees feel seen and heard-are just as important as diversity metrics
• How to ensure that employees feel empowered and love where they work
• The importance of learning a business thoroughly, even if it means a sideways career move.
When Brewer accepted a lower-level position at Walmart when she left Kimberly-Clark as group president, some people questioned the move -- but she says she needed to start there to learn about retail. “I was in a learning mode, but I took a step back to get ahead,” she says. “That's when my career began to really explode.”
This interview part of a series called “The New World of Work,” which explores how top-tier executives see the future and how their companies are trying to set themselves up for success. Each week, Adi will interview a leader on LinkedIn Live - and then share an inside look at those conversations and solicit questions for future discussions in a newsletter just for HBR subscribers. If you’re a subscriber, you can sign up for the newsletter here: hbr.org/my-library/preference....
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[@mariovilla2294]

What a great talk! Inspiring and motivational to all of us. Several take aways from here.

[@SafiullahWasiullah]

Thanks to HBR for the great series of interviews......

[@M.....................]

GREAT CONVERSATION!!!

[@fertunamoea8459]

Amazing talk .. thaks

[@cardion411]

This was so powerful.

[@tramellmalone9146]

Guts and problem solving. Love Roz ❤️

[@bmichh40]

Good convo!!!!

[@ebonyd11063]

Thank you so much

[@ebonyd11063]

Can you possibly get back to me

[@Jovoni.]

I’m a huge fan of Roz, thank you for being transparent and authentic.

[@chaseofori-atta2225]

Walgreens has a bright future with Mrs. Brewer @ the helm!

[@barnabycollins7337]

You take the register & CSA for 2 weeks w/ 2 weekends. I'm sick of the nonsense, & so are the customers.

[@mohdmalik8989]

Need to talk to you. How? Regarding pharmacist of walgreen located waukeegan/church morton Grove. Thanks

[@DDumbrille]

Ms. Brewer should check out the Yelp reviews for Walgreen's pharmacies. Almost all of them are rated ONE STAR, and rightfully so. HORRIBLE, INEXCUSABLE customer "service"...

[@KarenMedina-nc6nc]

She went to Spellman, not Stanford!

[@Pika-Chu64]

I want to ask her why Walgreens always gets robbed or destroyed

[@brandihillcom]

Whats the point of giving women of color a seat at the table if they gonna just keep running shit the same way the white men do. #watercarriers 🥱 this lady runs this corporation just like any other colonizer. Profiting $28 billion a year, hiring loads of black pharmacist under paying them, overworking them. Giving them 30 minute lunch breaks with no relief. This lady is a joke.

[@brandihillcom]

They a corporation that has been robbing from those neighborhood for years (which is why they were just convicted of contributing to opioid pandemic). Rest assured it the profit didn’t outweigh the theft they will close doors. walgreens is a rapist of a company everything from their wages to work life balance is a result of unbridled capitalism. Why this lady is praised is beyond me.

[@Pika-Chu64]

@@brandihillcom I just wanna buy a snickers without someone stealing an ATM from the store

[@brandihillcom]

@@Pika-Chu64 😬😬😬😬hilarious. Brazen theft from the brazen corporate Elite doesn’t hurt me one bit.

[@johnmora7449]

Lots of store managers looking for new jobs in California because of the way Walgreens Inc. treats their employees. Its pretty bad.

[@unreeel2105]

It’s amazing how coloured leaders “get it”!

[@brandihillcom]

Exactly. Whats the point of giving women of color a seat at the table if they gonna just keep running shit the same way the white men do. #watercarriers 🥱 this lady runs this corporation just like any other colonizer. Profiting $28 billion a year, hiring loads of black pharmacist under paying them, overworking them. Giving them 30 minute lunch breaks with no relief. This lady is an embarrassment.

[@YouTubeisduke]

Walgreens is horrible to their customers due to their discriminatory company policies. Horrible horrible company.

[@luckyducky224]

What policies?

[@brandihillcom]

Exactly. Whats the point of giving women of color a seat at the table if they gonna just keep running shit the same way the white men do. #watercarriers 🥱 this lady runs this corporation just like any other colonizer. Profiting $28 billion a year, hiring loads of black pharmacist under paying them, overworking them. Giving them 30 minute lunch breaks with no relief. This lady is an embarrassment.

[@brandihillcom]

@@luckyducky224 say their pushing opioid policy ?? they literally just got convicted by the federal government for contributing to the opioid crises. Got like zero punishment .

[@vlastalicajaime5107]

Listing to her makes me have a bad feeling. Who gives a crap what color you are at those levels. You need rock stars end of story. All colors welcome, but if certain colors not available get the best talent.

[@ebonyd11063]

How do you ask questions to management who discard them without being bias or problem seeking?. It feels intimidating.. As an a employee I want to know, learn everything.. my voice has not been Heard.. Im trying so hard..