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Building A World-Renowned Culture w. Garry Ridge
What does it take to grow a company from $250 million to $3.5 billion while maintaining 98% employee retention and respect for leadership? Former WD-40 CEO Garry Ridge joins Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton to share the leadership philosophy that transformed his company into a global powerhouse.
In this inspiring conversation, Garry reveals how a chance encounter with the Dalai Lama's wisdom at 38,000 feet sparked a cultural revolution. Learn about the power of "learning moments" over failures, why WD-40 celebrates the 39 formulas that didn't work, and how servant leadership principles created psychological safety across a global workforce.
Garry shares practical insights on building tribal cultures, the "Maniac Pledge" that eliminated finger-pointing, and why values must be hierarchical to truly guide decision-making. Plus, discover how focusing on safety, customers, and business fundamentals helped WD-40 thrive during the pandemic.
Key Topics:
Transforming from manager to coach mindset
Creating learning moments instead of failure culture
Building global tribal cultures with clear values
Leading through uncertainty and crisis
The ROI timeline for culture transformation
Servant leadership in practice
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Leadership Challenges
00:31 Welcome to the Culture Work Podcast
00:51 Introducing Garry, Former CEO of WD-40
02:11 Garry's Leadership Journey and Philosophy
04:29 Implementing Servant Leadership at WD-40
06:15 The Importance of Culture and Values
10:23 Learning Moments and Innovation
12:17 The Long-Term Impact of Cultural Change
15:00 Dealing with Resistance to Cultural Change
17:37 Turning Down a Tempting Offer
21:40 The Maniac Pledge: Empowering Responsibility
23:12 Leading Through Uncertainty
27:34 Advice for New Leaders
30:50 Rapid-Fire Leadership Insights
31:21 Conclusion and Farewell
Follow Chester & Adrian and Garry:
Connect with Chester & Adrian:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecultureworksofficial/
Website: https://thecultureworks.com/
Connect with Garry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/
Website: https://thelearningmoment.net/
View all episodes
By Culture WorksWhat does it take to grow a company from $250 million to $3.5 billion while maintaining 98% employee retention and respect for leadership? Former WD-40 CEO Garry Ridge joins Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton to share the leadership philosophy that transformed his company into a global powerhouse.
In this inspiring conversation, Garry reveals how a chance encounter with the Dalai Lama's wisdom at 38,000 feet sparked a cultural revolution. Learn about the power of "learning moments" over failures, why WD-40 celebrates the 39 formulas that didn't work, and how servant leadership principles created psychological safety across a global workforce.
Garry shares practical insights on building tribal cultures, the "Maniac Pledge" that eliminated finger-pointing, and why values must be hierarchical to truly guide decision-making. Plus, discover how focusing on safety, customers, and business fundamentals helped WD-40 thrive during the pandemic.
Key Topics:
Transforming from manager to coach mindset
Creating learning moments instead of failure culture
Building global tribal cultures with clear values
Leading through uncertainty and crisis
The ROI timeline for culture transformation
Servant leadership in practice
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Leadership Challenges
00:31 Welcome to the Culture Work Podcast
00:51 Introducing Garry, Former CEO of WD-40
02:11 Garry's Leadership Journey and Philosophy
04:29 Implementing Servant Leadership at WD-40
06:15 The Importance of Culture and Values
10:23 Learning Moments and Innovation
12:17 The Long-Term Impact of Cultural Change
15:00 Dealing with Resistance to Cultural Change
17:37 Turning Down a Tempting Offer
21:40 The Maniac Pledge: Empowering Responsibility
23:12 Leading Through Uncertainty
27:34 Advice for New Leaders
30:50 Rapid-Fire Leadership Insights
31:21 Conclusion and Farewell
Follow Chester & Adrian and Garry:
Connect with Chester & Adrian:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecultureworksofficial/
Website: https://thecultureworks.com/
Connect with Garry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/
Website: https://thelearningmoment.net/