Explore transformative leadership with Garry Ridge, Chairman Emeritus and former CEO of WD-40, as he highlights the profound value of engaged, purpose-driven workplaces. He discusses the art of balancing empathy with decisiveness and fostering a culture of happiness to drive unparalleled success.

This is To Lead Is Human — listen to learn how you can uplevel your leadership and shape cultures of accountability, respect, and candor.

Guest Bio:

Garry Ridge, Chairman Emeritus of WD-40 Company, The Culture Coach.

Garry Ridge is a purpose-driven founder, board member, advisor, professor, and global keynote speaker with over 35 years of experience leading and transforming global businesses. As Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company for 25 years, Garry grew the brand into one of the world’s most trusted and beloved names, earning him recognition as one of Inc. Magazine’s World’s Top 10 CEOs.

Also known as The Culture Coach, Garry is passionate about creating workplace cultures where people thrive, learn, and contribute to something greater. He is the visionary behind The Learning Moment, a platform that helps leaders foster innovation and engagement through values-driven leadership.

As an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, Garry taught the program “Culture at Work: Putting Principles into Practice in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership.” He is the author of Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It: Learning Moments from an Everyday CEO of a Multi-Billion-Dollar Company and co-author with Ken Blanchard of Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called 'Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A'. Both books share practical leadership lessons inspired by his belief that "Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."

Host Bio:

For more than 30 years, Sharon Richmond has partnered with C-level executives from mid-size and small, fast-growing companies who want to up-level their leadership and build companies they are proud of. Clients accelerate their leadership by embracing mindset and behavior changes, building self-awareness and self-management skills, and focusing on the three things all leaders must ensure: focus, energy and delivery.

Sharon’s purpose as an executive coach is to help leaders 10X their impact by leveraging the power afforded by their roles to build organizations that are forces for good, both economically and socially. She also advises CEOs on shaping organization culture and leading change.

Sharon has taught leadership at Stanford GSB, where she now helps leaders increase influence, manage conflict, and prepare to build high-performing teams.

To see a list of Sharon’s clients, please visit LeadingLarge.com.

Resources or websites mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Sharon’s website: LeadingLarge.com
Garry’s website: TheLearningMoment.net
Garry’s brand-new book: Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It: Learning Moments from an Everyday CEO of a Multi-Billion-Dollar Company
Garry’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/

Credits:

Host: Sharon Richmond
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Escaping Light
Artist: Aaron Sprinkle
Writer: Aaron Sprinkle
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Bright Future
Artist: Be Still The Earth
Writer: Marshall Usinger
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

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Episode transcript: Empathy Over Ego: A Leadership Key to WD-40’s Success (Garry Ridge) coming soon.