How Garry Ridge's Humility Shaped Leadership at WD‑40

When Garry Ridge stepped into the role of CEO at the WD‑40 Company in 1997, he immediately signaled that his leadership would be defined less by command-and-control tactics and more by self-awareness and humility. One early step — taking a DISC personality assessment — reinforced a people-first orientation that became a throughline of his tenure.

The DISC profile, a commonly used tool that maps behavioral preferences, gave Ridge insight into how he communicates, motivates and collaborates. Rather than treating the result as a label, he used it as a practical guide to adapt his approach: listening more, delegating authority, and creating environments where employees could contribute ideas without fear of retribution. That temperament aligned with a broader philosophy of servant leadership, where the leader’s primary role is to remove barriers and help employees succeed.

Under Ridge’s stewardship, the company emphasized culture as a strategic asset. Executives and managers were encouraged to invest in employee development, celebrate small wins and maintain the brand’s focus on reliability and product utility. For a company built around a single, iconic multi-use product, preserving institutional knowledge and sustaining employee engagement were vital to operational continuity and brand stewardship.

For investors and observers, Ridge’s humility-driven style offers a few clear takeaways. First, consistent culture-building can reduce execution risk — teams that trust one another and their leaders are better equipped to navigate supply disruptions, product challenges and market shifts. Second, leadership that prioritizes people tends to create steadier internal processes, which supports predictable operations even without headline-grabbing strategy changes.

This approach was first highlighted in a report by Investor’s Business Daily, which noted the unusual combination of a personality assessment and a leadership philosophy centered on humility. While a DISC test won’t substitute for strategic acumen or financial discipline, it can sharpen a leader’s self-awareness and make organizational decisions more human-centered.

Garry Ridge’s example underscores a broader lesson: modesty and disciplined self-knowledge can be durable corporate advantages. For companies where brand reputation and operational consistency matter, leaders who foreground culture and empowerment can deliver steady, resilient performance over time.