140: The WD-40 CEO Who Proved Any Dumb-Ass Can Build a Great Culture | Garry Ridge

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Written By damon lembi

Garry Ridge, Chairman Emeritus of WD-40, shares how leaders can build high-trust, high-performance cultures where people feel valued, learn, grow, and thrive. In this episode, host Damon Lembi and Garry discuss the leadership principles that helped WD-40 grow from a $300 million to a $3.5 billion company while maintaining over 90% employee engagement and a culture where 98% of employees loved telling others they worked there. Drawing from his new book Any Dumbass Can Do It, Garry reveals how people-first leadership creates long-term success.

Read the full breakdown of Garry Ridge’s episode on Learnit.

Key Leadership Lessons from Garry Ridge’s Journey:

  • Turning Failure into Learning Moments – Discover how WD-40 built a culture of innovation by reframing failure.

  • Bravery in Leadership – Learn why avoiding tough conversations protects a leader’s comfort zone at the expense of team growth.

  • Culture as a Competitive Advantage – Understand why organizations with high engagement consistently outperform their competitors.

Connect with Garry Ridge:

Garry Ridge served as CEO of WD-40 for 25 years, building a world-renowned culture of learning and empowerment. Now known as The Culture Coach and The Dean of Dumbassery, he teaches leadership at the University of San Diego and runs The Learning Moment, coaching CEOs and helping leaders create thriving workplace environments.

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