Essay
Culture Survives Because People Choose to Live It
On Lunar New Year, the world's largest human migration, and a lesson from WD-40's founder on what separates culture from strategy.
Wishing everyone celebrating a very Happy Lunar New Year. Each year, this season triggers Chunyun, the largest human migration in the world. In 2026 alone, nearly 9.5 billion passenger trips are expected over 40 days as millions travel home despite cost, crowds, and inconvenience.
That always makes me pause. People don't endure that for logistics. They do it because it matters. Across Asia, whether in Chinese or Indian traditions, festivals aren't just holidays. They carry forward identity and shared values. The same pattern exists in organizations.
In class, Professor John Ullmen shared Garry Ridge's perspective from the WD-40 Company: culture is values and behaviors, practiced consistently, backed by the will of people to live them. Strategy is outcomes.
At WD-40, that shows up clearly. Employees are called "tribe members." Leaders coach instead of command. Mistakes become learning moments. Repeated. Consistent. Modeled from the top. That's how culture compounds.
Whether in society or in organizations, culture survives because people choose to live it, especially when it's inconvenient. Every organization has a culture. The only question is whether it's by design or by default.
