In this episode of Workplace Weirdness, host Maya Kadar Kovalsky chats with Garry Ridge, former CEO of WD-40, about leadership, learning from failure, and why “dumbassery” might just be the secret ingredient to great leadership. Gary explains how embracing vulnerability, admitting you don’t have all the answers, and messing up a few times along the way can actually make you a stronger leader.

Gary opens up about his time at WD-40, the iconic blue-and-yellow can that’s been fixing squeaky hinges and rusting parts for decades. He explains how building a culture of learning and being okay with failure helped the company thrive. They also tackle listener questions about navigating awkward workplace situations, like surviving a gratitude circle after layoffs, handling the micromanagement label, and escaping an unexpected weekend shift at a trampoline park.

Tune in, you might just look at leadership a little differently after this one.

Key Takeaways

In This Episode

[01:01] Meet Garry Ridge

[02:59] Why “Dumbassery” Is a Leadership Superpower

[07:25] Coach vs. Manager: What’s the Difference?

[09:18] Turning Mistakes into Learning Moments at WD-40

[16:01] Weirdest Workplace Moments

[19:01] Week in Work: Why Fear-Based Leadership Backfires

[26:01] Listener Question #1: Navigating Gratitude Circles After Layoffs

[33:12] Listener Question #2: Micromanagement Feedback and How to Handle It

[39:01] Cringeworthy Question: How to Decline an Unwanted Social Invitation

[44:27] Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

Notable Quotes

[03:26] “ Admitting you're wrong and saying you don’t know is actually a superpower.” — Garry Ridge

[06:14] “ Success in business is not you being the smartest person in the room. It's you being in a room bringing out the smarts of everybody else. And once you expose yourself and display vulnerability, everybody else relaxes and suddenly you get an enormous amount of brain strength that comes out in the room.” — Garry Ridge

[20:27 “ If leaders think that building a fear-based culture where people want to escape from their workplace instead of escape to it, they have a wake up call coming for them.” — Garry Ridge

[34:17] “When your team calls you a micromanager, that’s feedback, not a defense.” — Garry Ridge

Garry Ridge

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

The Learning Moment - https://thelearningmoment.net/

Maya Kadar Kovalsky

Website - https://www.mayakadar.com/

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

Workplace Weirdness

Email: [email protected]

SpeakPipe - http://speakpipe.com/workplaceweirdness

Website - http://workplace-weirdness.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/workplaceweirdpod/