Garry Ridge

124: WD-40’s Remarkable Tribe Culture

Imagine if there were a company that could consistently achieve an employee engagement score of 93 or 94? You don’t have to imagine it. That’s a reality at WD-40 Company. My guest Garry Ridge describes the elements he and his tribe have put in place and practice daily. You’ll be inspired by his passion and commitment to create a learning and empowering culture where every single person in the company thrives. Garry is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WD-40 Company. He now speaks and coaches with other CEOs to help them build positive cultures in their own organizations. Garry is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. In 2009 he co-authored Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A with Ken Blanchard. In 2020 he wrote TRIBE CULTURE: How It Shaped WD-40 Company and in 2021 The UNEXPECTED LEARNING MOMENT.

You’ll discover:

• What “accidental soul-sucking” CEOs do to undermine a positive work environment
• Why Garry refers to everyone at WD-40 as “tribe” instead of “team”
• The 4 pillars of the fearless tribe at WD-40
• The distinction Garry makes between empathy and ego
• Why there are only “learning moments” and not failures or mistakes at WD-40

Watch the episode:

Connect with Garry

Garry's Websites

The Learning Moment WD-40 Company

Garry's Books

Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A TRIBE CULTURE: How It Shaped WD-40 Company The UNEXPECTED LEARNING MOMENT