The "Decision Ladder" is a framework for radical empowerment. By giving every employee permission to spend a small amount (e.g., $50) to solve any problem—with increasing authority for managers and directors—you eliminate approval delays and foster a culture of ownership.

Most corporate values statements (e.g., "integrity") are unactionable and don't change internal culture. Effective leaders codify specific, observable behaviors—the "how" of working together. This makes unspoken expectations explicit and creates a clear standard for accountability that a vague value never could.

Create a clear hierarchy of spending authority to eliminate decision bottlenecks. For example, any employee can spend up to $50 to solve a customer problem, managers up to $500, and directors up to $5,000, no questions asked. This empowers the team to make swift decisions without waiting for approval.

Create a public document detailing your company's operating principles—from Slack usage to coding standards. This "operating system" makes cultural norms explicit, prevents recurring debates, and allows potential hires to self-select based on alignment, saving time and reducing friction as you scale.

Instead of rigid if-then rules, companies can use natural language for expense policies (e.g., "business class for flights over 5 hours"). AI agents interpret and apply these nuanced rules to over 100,000 daily expenses with 99% accuracy, freeing up managers' time.

Contrary to its reputation, 3G views Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) as a way to instill an owner's mindset, not just to slash costs. The bulk of their returns comes from growth, while ZBB is a secondary process that frees up capital and aligns the team around efficiency.

While bonuses tied to revenue incentivize employees to perform specific tasks, they are purely transactional. Granting stock options makes team members think holistically about the entire business's long-term health, from strategic opportunities to small cost savings, creating true psychological ownership.

Culture isn't an abstract value statement. It's the sum of concrete behaviors you enforce, like fining partners for being late to meetings. These specific actions, not words, define your organization's true character and priorities.

Instead of vague values, define culture as a concrete set of "if-then" statements that govern reinforcement (e.g., "IF you are on time, THEN you are respected"). This turns an abstract concept into an operational system that can be explicitly taught, managed, and improved across the organization.