Integrity

“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.” Proverbs 19:1

Ethics is a vital topic, but it can be a dry one. That’s why David Bernauer, former CEO of Walgreens, used anecdotes to pass on the ethical standards he wanted to support. The story below is one of his favorites.

A Walgreens exec found a think notebook labeled “Confidential.” It belonged to one of Walgreens’ competitors and held financial data that was indeed confidential. Without reading it, the exec delivered it to the current CEO, Bernauer’s predecessor.

Though also tempted, the CEO mailed it to the owners with the note, “We didn’t peek.” The competitor’s chairman called to say that he was relieved that someone from Walgreens had found the notebook. “You guys,” he said, “do the right thing.”

The story is a good model for developing ethical lessons of your own. It focuses on a single event and a fundamental moral issue - the distinction between taking advantage of a situation and taking unfair advantage.

Clearly, the information in the notebook would have helped Walgreens compete. Yet it was also clearly wrong to use that advantage. Secondly, the story’s punchline extends the credit to Walgreens as a whole: It’s “you guys” who get the credit, not merely the CEO. That’s a good foundation for ethics. - P. Porrini, L. Hiris, G. Poncini

Remember - You can’t go wrong doing right!