251. WD-40’s Garry Ridge on leadership: "Any dumbass can do it"

Nov 20, 2025

Garry Ridge, former CEO of WD-40 Company and founder of The Learning Moment, is a champion of servant leadership and psychological safety. He shares insights on creating a culture of belonging, emphasizing that when employees feel valued, they contribute more openly. Garry reframes mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures, advocating for transparency to enhance team dynamics. He also discusses the importance of humility in leadership, how to empower decision-making, and the strategic value of prioritizing people over profit.

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INSIGHT

Belonging Drives Performance

Leaders should create cultures of belonging where people feel seen, valued and safe to contribute.
Psychological safety and coaching unlocks sustained performance across a global organisation.

ADVICE

Invert The Pyramid

Turn the leadership pyramid upside down and put yourself at the bottom to serve your people.
Coach, enable and encourage employees so they can execute the strategic plan autonomously.

ADVICE

Use Prompts To Rewire Habits

Use simple prompts and rituals to change leadership habits, like writing reminders to praise someone.
Regularly ask, “Am I being the person I want to be right now?” to stay intentional.

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Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture.
Today, we’re joined by a leader who has shaped the modern understanding of culture, belonging and performance more than almost anyone else working today: Garry Ridge, former CEO and Chairman of WD-40 Company, now the founder of The Learning Moment.

Garry led WD-40 for more than two decades, taking it from a small American brand to a global organisation, all while maintaining engagement scores that most companies can only dream of. His belief is simple: “Leaders don’t manage people — they help them get to where they need to be.” And the results speak for themselves.

In this conversation, we go deep into what makes a great leader, why psychological safety drives performance, how to build a culture people genuinely want to belong to, and why treating mistakes as learning moments creates organisations that last.

Key Takeaways

1. Belonging isn’t soft — it’s strategic
Garry explains why the foundation of performance is a culture where people feel seen, valued and safe to contribute. When people feel they belong, they take risks, share ideas and collaborate without fear.

2. Leaders create the weather
Teams respond to the emotional climate set by their leaders. Garry breaks down how tone, behaviour and consistency shape trust more than any policy or engagement initiative.

3. Mistakes are learning moments
Instead of blame, Garry uses learning moments to build capability. This is how you grow confident, autonomous teams who solve problems instead of hiding them.

4. Clarity beats control
Garry’s leadership model centres on aligned expectations, adult-to-adult relationships and reducing friction. When people know what’s expected — and feel supported — performance takes care of itself.

5. The real job of a leader
Garry believes leaders are responsible for creating an environment where people can be brilliant. That means curiosity, empathy, consistency and genuine accountability (the kind that lifts people, not limits them).

Resources & Links

Connect with Garry Ridge
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/
The Learning Moment: https://thelearningmoment.net/
Book: Any Dumb Ass Can Do a Multi-Billion Dollar Brand
https://www.amazon.com/Any-Dumb-Ass-Can-Do-Multi-Billion-Dollar/dp/1637746296

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
LinkedIn (Show): https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show for more interviews every Thursday — and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss next week.