Integrity and honesty are the cornerstones of successful businesses, which, in turn, will make them desirous places to work, said former Illinois Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan, who gave the keynote address at the “Best Places to Work in Illinois” recognition event.

“I’m not a business man,” said Ryan. “I spent a life in politics and law. In fact, I was never all that popular with businesses because I was often enforcing anti-trust laws.”

Ryan did say, however, that he has a close personal relationship with the business community because of his late father, who worked as a builder and contractor for decades.

“He was the most honest man that I ever met,” said Ryan. “His word was his bond. He could close business deals with a handshake, which as a lawyer made me very nervous, but as a son made me extremely proud.”

Ryan built upon this theme of honesty and integrity as the groundwork upon which one builds a successful business. Reputation is important and can take many years to build, he said, but only a few poor decisions to tear down. If a business always makes the right choices it should be successful.

“How many times have we heard the term ‘It’s just business’?” said Ryan. “Moral relativism is not a substitute for ethics.”

He alluded to companies in recent years that have abused their positions of power through poor leadership and have hurt thousands of individuals in doing so.

“The abuse of leadership has consequences,” he said. “Thousands of people will end up losing their jobs and their money.”

Real leadership is about serving others and doing the right thing, something Ryan believes is represented in the companies recognized as the best places to work.

The way to become a successful leader is to bring humanity to the workplace, he said, noting that the honored companies displayed that by showing dedication to their employees.

“Thank you for making Illinois a better place to live and work,” said Ryan. “It is nice to be in a room full of people who want to honor businesses rather than just tax them.”