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

Rosalyn Brewer, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, emphasizes the importance of personal leadership and adaptability in navigating new corporate environments, particularly during her transition into the healthcare sector amid the pandemic. She reflects on her diverse career, which includes significant roles at Starbucks and Walmart, and highlights the necessity of understanding the business from the ground up. Brewer advocates for a leadership style that prioritizes learning and engagement, suggesting that leaders should immerse themselves in their organizations to foster effective problem-solving.

Brewer also addresses the challenges of being a black female CEO in a predominantly male and white executive landscape. She acknowledges the loneliness that can accompany such a position but stresses the importance of using her unique perspective to educate others on diversity and inclusion. She critiques the corporate focus on diversity metrics without addressing equity and inclusion, advocating for a deeper understanding of the systemic barriers that hinder true progress in these areas.

In discussing Walgreens' strategic shift towards healthcare, Brewer outlines plans to enhance local healthcare access through the establishment of clinics within Walgreens stores. She believes that by leveraging the company's extensive network, they can provide essential services and education to communities, ultimately aiming to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes. Brewer concludes by emphasizing the need for corporate cultures that prioritize employee engagement and well-being, particularly in the face of the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic and workforce changes.

Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer to Leaders: Put Your Phones Away and Listen to EmployeesUploaded 09-12-2110 Dec 2021---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: https://hbr.org/my-library/preferences?movetile=newworldofwork.Follow us:https://hbr.org/https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/https://www.facebook.com/HBR/https://twitter.com/HarvardBizhttps://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_reviewSign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters#HarvardBusinessReview #FutureofWork #RozBrewerCopyright © 2021 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices