Mastering Midlife Podcast: The Heart of a Servant-Leader with Garry Ridge

The Heart of a Servant-Leader with Garry Ridge

Mar 8, 2022

Garry Ridge is the Chairman and CEO of the WD-40 Company. Garry has been working with the WD-40 Company for nearly 40 years and, as its CEO, is responsible for driving the company’s culture and values. In addition to his role at the WD-40 Company, Garry shares his experience and insights as an executive coach, consultant, and speaker through his platform, the Living Moment. He has been instrumental in re-igniting excitement and cultivating cultures that foster breakthrough innovations in organizations across 62 countries.

Garry joins me today to discuss what it takes to be a servant-leader with an open heart. He discusses the importance of vulnerability and leadership and reveals the characteristics of a toxic CEO. He describes the difference between using empathy and ego and shares what inspires him to be the leader that he is today. He also underscores the value of leading your people through a crisis and highlights how an organization’s values protect its people.

“Our success as leaders is based on the will of the people and the strategy we want to execute.” - Garry Ridge

This week on Mastering Overwhelm:

The importance of vulnerability in leadership
The attributes of a soul-sucking CEO
How Garry’s helping people navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic
What it means to pivot around fear
How Garry helps his leaders manage remote workers
Using empathy versus ego in redirecting people when they need to be redirected
Why it’s important to take care of your people amidst a crisis
How business leaders impact happy families and communities
The characteristics that differentiate leaders from managers
How an organization’s values protect its people
How Garry manages his time and keeps himself from overwhelm
What inspires Garry to be the leader that he is today
Why he doesn’t like the word “busy”
What we can learn from indigenous leaders

Resources Mentioned:

Grow Strong Leaders Podcast
From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business by Alisa Cohn
Work is Love Made Visible: A Collection of Essays About the Power of Finding Your Purpose From the World’s Greatest Thought Leaders by Marshall Goldsmith, Frances Hesselbein, and Sarah McArthur

Connect with Garry Ridge:

Mastering Overwhelm - Set Yourself Free to Enjoy Your Success

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