The counter-intuitive formula that took WD-40 from $300M to $3.6B in market cap, and why 70% of the global workforce is disengaged because most companies get this backwards.
"You still believe in a successful company, but you just believe that you take care of the people and the money comes, as opposed to focusing on the money and the people are nice to have."
– Simon Sinek interviewing Garry Ridge, Former CEO of WD-40 Company (1997-2022)
Garry Ridge served as CEO of WD-40 for 25 years. During his tenure, he grew market cap from $300M to $3.6B while maintaining 93% employee engagement, triple the global average.
He was named "Igniter of the Year" by Simon Sinek in 2016 and ranked as one of the Top 10 Global CEOs in 2017.
What Garry Ridge discovered isn't magic. It's math.
A 70/100 strategy with 30% engaged employees = 2,100 outcome units.
The same strategy with 90% engaged employees = 6,300 outcome units.
3× the results from the same plan.
Decades of research confirms what WD-40 demonstrated in practice.
Global employee engagement fell to 21% in 2024, only the second decline in 12 years. 62% are "not engaged" and 15% are actively disengaged.
Low engagement costs the global economy approximately $8.9 trillion annually, equivalent to 9% of global GDP.
Companies on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list outperform the Russell 1000 by a factor of 3.68 over 27 years.
High-engagement organizations see 51% lower turnover, 23% higher profitability, and 68% improvement in employee wellbeing.
Eight out of ten U.S. households have a can of WD-40. Despite copycat brands, global recognition and preference remain dominant.
Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. When managers are engaged, teams follow.
Under Garry Ridge's people-first leadership (1997-2022)
The building blocks of a people-first organization.
WD-40 calls employees "tribe members." Teams exist situationally to win games. Tribes are enduring, protective, and survive over time. This isn't semantics. It's a fundamental shift in belonging.
"At WD-40 we do not make mistakes, either we win or we learn." This philosophy creates psychological safety where innovation thrives and fear doesn't paralyze progress.
WD-40 eliminated the word "manager" entirely. Leaders stand on the sidelines to help others win. The role is to help tribe members reach their potential, not control their output.
WD-40's second company value: "Create positive lasting memories in all relationships." Product development starts with: "What positive lasting memory will this create?" Not features. Feelings.
Servant leadership means empathy over ego. The leader's purpose is helping those in their charge become the best versions of themselves, not proving the leader's own worth.
WD-40's transparency principle. Open information, respected viewpoints, and treating people with dignity. Trust isn't given. It's built through consistent, visible integrity.
How to start building a people-first organization today.
Inspire your team with a compelling purpose, mission, and values that give their work meaning. People need to feel they're contributing to something bigger than quarterly targets.
Every person should know their specific role, responsibilities, and how their objectives connect to company goals. Ambiguity breeds disengagement.
Create psychological safety where people can take risks, fail, and learn without fear. Physical and mental wellbeing aren't perks. They're prerequisites.
Employees without access to meaningful development are 2× more likely to leave within a year. Growth isn't optional. It's expected.
Managers drive 70% of engagement variance. Train them as coaches, not controllers. Their engagement directly impacts everyone they lead.
Track engagement as a leading indicator, not a trailing survey. Regular feedback loops, transparent metrics, and action on what you learn.
How these principles translate to the work I do.
Technology succeeds only when humans feel informed and respected. Automation isn't about replacing people. It's about elevating them to thrive in creativity and strategic work.
No hidden agendas, no black boxes. Clear communication beats quiet compliance every time. Trust is built through radical honesty about tools, processes, and trade-offs.
No vendor lock-in, ever. Open standards and interoperability keep you in control. Your autonomy and freedom to adapt is sacred.
Ethical shortcuts erode value faster than any external threat. Every decision aligns with doing the right thing, even when it's harder.
Across manufacturing floors, PE portfolios, and tech teams: the companies winning aren't the ones with better strategies. They're the ones where people actually give a damn.
This is the philosophy I'm building around.