CEO of 25 years: I ditched this toxic mindset to become a better boss—'my job was not to command and control'

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CEO of 25 years: I ditched this toxic mindset to become a better boss—'my job was not to command and control'

Published Mon, Dec 15 2025

9:05 AM EST

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Garry Ridge, CEO, WD-40 Company

Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Garry Ridge had already been a CEO for two years when he enrolled at the University of San Diego in 1999 for a master's degree in executive leadership.

Ridge, who helmed the multi-use product company WD-40 from 1997 until he retired in 2022, thought at the time that he needed to change himself to make the company and its workforce more successful, he told Simon Sinek's "A Bit Of Optimism" podcast in a Nov. 25 episode.

Ridge had recently moved from Australia and wanted to expand WD-40 around the world, he said. Prior to going back to school, he was a "be brief, be bright, be gone" type of leader, he added: "I really thought that I had to be command and control. And I pretty soon learned [in school] that my job was not to command and control."

Instead of running his company with an iron fist, Ridge took a more personable approach to leadership — which he credited to guidance from a professor at the time, Ken Blanchard — aiming to help employees feel more belonging and empowerment, he said.

"Our purpose was to create positive lasting memories ...  So what changed in my mind was I couldn't do this alone," said Ridge, now a Poway, California-based leadership coach for other CEOs. "If we were going to expand to 176 countries around the world, which we did, and if the sun was never going to set on the people in the organization, I had to make sure that in an environment where they felt safe enough to make decisions and be brave."

DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to teaching your kids about money

As a coach, he's seen other CEOs struggle with the same control-forward leadership style he once had, he said. "They're looking at successful people who have huge egos, little empathy, want to micromanage, think they have all the answers, don't really value learning. And they think that's the way to go," said Ridge.

To build his capacity for so-called "servant leadership," Ridge tried to constantly remind himself to challenge his own thinking and put other people first, he said. He walked around with "praise somebody" written on his hand for "months" as a reminder that his job wasn't about him, and opted against a private parking space and an office "four times bigger" than his employees' workspaces, he said.

"The will of the people times the strategy equals the outcome," said Ridge. "If you spend a good time on people, purpose, values and learning ... you have more people enthusiastically, passionately, getting up every day, executing your strategic plan ... It's that freaking simple."

For workers, a boss who supports their employees and leads with empathy, flexibility, transparency and accountability is a green flag, Deepali Vyas, the global head of fintech, payments and crypto practice at Korn Ferry, told CNBC Make It in October 2024.

To determine during a job interview if your prospective boss has these traits, Vyas said, you can ask them: "How would your current team describe you and your leadership style?" A response like, "I give them enough leash to let them run with an idea, and I help them when they are actually in need," instead of something like, "People do what I say," can show that they're flexible and trusting, she said.

"Managers that master the balance of emotional intelligence and not being so rigid — that's a good boss," said Vyas.

Want to give your kids the ultimate advantage? Sign up for CNBC's new online course, How to Raise Financially Smart Kids. Learn how to build healthy financial habits today to set your children up for greater success in the future. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 30% off. Offer valid from Dec. 8 to Dec. 22, 2025. Terms apply.

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