Any Dumbass Can Build a Great Culture: Leadership Lessons from WD-40's Garry Ridge

Any Dumbass Can Build a Great Culture: Leadership Lessons from WD-40's Garry Ridge

Episode Description

In this compelling episode of the Relentless Customer Leader podcast, host Dr. Chris Brown sits down with Garry Ridge, former CEO of WD-40 Company and author of "Any Dumbass Can Do It." During his remarkable 25-year tenure as CEO, Garry transformed a simple product into a global powerhouse spanning 176 countries, growing the company's market cap from $300 million to $3.6 billion.

Garry reveals the leadership philosophy that drove this success: creating a tribal culture where people feel they belong, matter, and can make choices without fear. Discover how reframing "failures" as "learning moments" and transforming "managers" into "coaches" helped build an organization where 98% of employees globally said they loved to tell people they worked for the company.

Whether you're leading a small team or a multinational corporation, you'll gain practical insights on balancing compassion with accountability, measuring cultural health in today's dispersed workforce, and creating environments where people can deliver their "personal magnificence." This episode delivers a masterclass in customer-centric leadership that drives both cultural and financial results.

Show Notes

Key Topics Covered

• 00:46 - The origin story of WD-40 and how it got its iconic name
• 02:19 - WD-40's unfair market advantages and unique positioning strategy
• 04:14 - Garry's new book "Any Dumbass Can Do It" and its provocative message
• 06:30 - Building a "tribe" versus a traditional workforce
• 09:43 - Transforming failures into "learning moments" to eliminate fear
• 12:12 - Balancing being "tough-minded and tender-hearted" in leadership
• 14:08 - How culture directly impacts financial results and business performance
• 18:03 - Measuring cultural health in modern, dispersed workforces
• 22:09 - The story of Garry riding a horse in armor into Times Square
• 24:46 - Maintaining humility in leadership ("Even the queen sits down to pee")
• 27:22 - Navigating cultural differences in global business
• 33:26 - The four corners of CEO responsibility and the loneliness of leadership
• 36:00 - Personal leadership development and embracing "dumbassery"
• 39:56 - Building psychological safety through trust and reducing fear

Notable Quotes

• "Life is about maximizing learning moments. Failures turn into successes if we look at them that way."
• "Great leadership is a balance between being tough-minded and tender-hearted."
• "Culture is not a microwaveable event. It takes a crockpot approach."
• "A great economic outcome is the will of the people times the strategy."
• "In organizations, most people don't lie. They fake and hide. And the reason they fake and hide is because of fear."
• "Have a heart of gold and a backbone of steel."
• "Even the queen sits down to pee." (On staying humble as a leader)

Resources Mentioned

• Book: "Any Dumbass Can Do It" by Garry Ridge
• WD-40 Company

About Garry Ridge

Garry Ridge served as CEO of WD-40 Company for 25 years, growing the market cap from $300 million to $3.6 billion. An Australian native who relocated to the US, Garry transformed WD-40's organizational culture by focusing on creating a tribal environment where people feel they belong, matter, and can learn without fear. He currently coaches CEOs and is dedicated to helping leaders build cultures of belonging "where love, forgiveness, and learning inspire a happier, more connected world."

Connect With Us

• Website: https://relentlesscustomerleader.transistor.fm/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlbrown/
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/marketculture

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