CEO Ryan Cohen revealed that GameStop went from over 1,400 corporate employees to just 400, yet became more productive. He argues large corporate teams create bloat, perverse incentives, and delegation of work. The radical downsizing improved focus and business results.

To maintain accountability with minimal HQ staff, the individual who sources and negotiates a deal remains on the acquired company's board. This eliminates problematic "handovers" to an operations team and ensures the dealmaker has long-term skin in the game, fostering alignment.

Kalshi operates with roughly 130 employees reporting directly to the two co-founders. While admittedly "chaotic," the CEO argues this lack of hierarchy allows the company to constantly and frictionlessly reorient around new opportunities and threats.

To manage a global business where operations are inherently local, Holcim uses a fully decentralized model. The corporate headquarters is intentionally slim, functioning as a mentorship and coaching resource. Its role is not to dictate strategy but to identify and share best demonstrated practices learned from local teams across the company's footprint.

Inspired by Ray Dalio, Dyrdek operates a flat organization where the heads of 10 core divisions (venture, product, philanthropy, etc.) report directly to him. This structure gives him total visibility and control, eliminating layers and allowing him to scale his personal output and decision-making ability.

Unlike most CEOs who focus on day-to-day operations, Singleton delegated operational control to focus almost exclusively on deploying the company's cash. Warren Buffett noted this skill is rare but critical for long-term success, as most executives rise through operational roles.

To reduce management overhead, give individuals or small teams a clear 'hill to take' with full operating control and a budget. This turns them into a CEO of their area, which is highly motivating and fosters autonomy, freeing up founders from day-to-day management.

Henry Singleton's core belief was that a CEO's job is to increase per-share value, not just grow revenue or headcount. This principle guided all his major capital allocation decisions, from acquisitions to aggressive share buybacks and avoiding dividends.

To maintain the autonomy of its portfolio companies, Lagercrantz employs an extremely decentralized model. The parent company provides minimal overhead, centralizing only three core functions: banking relationships, insurance policies, and financial auditing. All other functions, including HR, remain at the individual company level, empowering local CEOs.