C EO L E A DE R SHI P SU MMI T
LEAD ON How do you foster engagement and produce more leaders from the ranks of your company? What should leaders do to instill resilience emerging from the Covid crisis? What will a new administration mean for the economy and social climate? In November, CEOs gathered for a two-day conference to share strategies for these and other business challenges. Some takeaways. BY JENNIFER PELLET
‘MICROMANAGEMENT IS NOT SCALABLE’
“Purpose-driven, passionate people guided by values create amazing outcomes.” —Garry Ridge, Chairman and CEO, WD-40
GREAT LEADERS BRING OUT THE BEST in people by giving them the freedom to do their jobs, says Garry Ridge, chairman and CEO of WD-40. It’s a philosophy he practiced for more than two decades at the helm of the $423 million revenue company, and one he credits for its impressive 93 percent employee engagement index. With Covid numbers once again on the rise, Ridge shared five rules for leading during a lockdown with Summit participants. 1. Don’t try to control things beyond your reach. If you can’t change it, let it go. At the beginning of the pandemic, we decided to focus on three things at WD-40: ensuring the safety and well-being of our tribe; staying connected with and serving and supporting our customers and vendor partners; and three, maintaining our business structure so we would be ready to thrive when the world emerges from the pandemic. 2. Let empathy lead the way. Everyone is going through a personal journey during the pandemic, coping with stress and anxiety stemming from their personal circumstances. Be sensitive to what your employees
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are going through and the effects that may have and adapt your leadership accordingly, urges Ridge. 3. Define a clear set of values and how you will work within them. Values act as boundaries that help people feel safe and free them to make decisions with confidence. “Purpose-driven, passionate people guided by values create amazing outcomes,” says Ridge, who adds that values are at the core of a healthy culture. “Culture happens when values plus behaviors are honored and implemented consistently.” 4. Resist the urge to micromanage. “It can be tempting, in a crisis, to seize control,” says Ridge, who points out that micromanaging is not scalable. “At a time when you need people looking for innovative ways to tackle the unknown, you don’t want to clutter their thinking with your own.” 5. Use your vision to rise above fear. When navigating a crisis, leaders must simultaneously focus their teams on future possibilities, painting a picture of the future that offers a level of hopefulness that will carry them through near-term challenges.
