Garry Ridge: No B.S. Leadership Tips from the CEO of a Multibillion-Dollar Company

Episode recap:

This episode featured Garry Ridge, former CEO and Chairman of WD-40, who shared his personal journey and philosophy on creating safe, valued, and connected workplaces. As a true Servant Leader, Garry discussed the people-focused strategies that propelled WD-40 to have one of the highest employee retention rates in the world. Marcel and Garry covered topics such as leadership development, psychological safety, and the importance of building and maintaining a strong organizational culture through consistent effort and learning moments.

Guest Bio:

As CEO and Chairman of WD-40 Company for 25 years, Garry Ridge built one of the world’s most recognized brands by prioritizing trust, respect, and people-centric leadership. Now, as The Culture Coach, Garry helps leaders create workplaces where people feel valued and inspired. Through The Learning Moment, he partners with executives to build cultures of collaboration and purpose-driven performance. His latest book, USA Today's Best Seller, Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It, reinforces his belief that great leadership is simple—but not easy. Known as The Dean of Dumbassery, Garry champions “learning moments,” encouraging leaders to turn mistakes into growth opportunities. His core philosophy: when people feel safe, valued, and connected, they do their best work—and go home happy, strengthening families, communities, and the world.

Timestamp

[00:03] Introduction of Garry Ridge
[04:40] Garry’s personal journey
[06:58] The meaning behind the book title
[10:07] Discovering servant leadership
[14:58] Handling resistance to culture change
[17:45] Creating psychological safety
[20:27] The four pillars of a fearless tribe
[23:38] The role of a leader
[27:21] A memorable story from Wall Street
[30:40] Protecting culture at all costs
[31:05] Why WD-40’s employee retention soared

Quotes

• “The three most powerful words a leader can say are: I don’t know.” 
• “Fear is the opposite of safety. We don’t make mistakes, we have learning moments.” 
• “Care is not about ping pong tables. It’s about helping people become the best version of themselves.” 
• “A leader’s job is to coach, not to take the bat and hit the ball.” 
• “Life’s a gift. Don’t send it back unwrapped.” 

Takeaways

• Replace mistakes with “learning moments” to reduce fear and encourage innovation. 
• Build culture with care, candor, accountability, and responsibility not perks or slogans. 
• Protect your culture by removing toxins, even if they are high performers. 
• Lead as a coach: your job is to bring out the best in others, not to prove you’re the smartest. 

Conclusion

This conversation with Garry Ridge proves that culture is not a soft, secondary issue, it is the hardest, most important work of leadership. From turning mistakes into learning moments to protecting culture from toxins, Garry’s insights highlight how leaders can build organizations where people thrive and results follow. Remember his parting words: life is a gift, don’t send it back unwrapped. If you want more stories and tools from Garry, connect with him on LinkedIn or visit thelearningmoment.net. 

Website - http://www.thelearningmoment.net/  

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/ 

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