MrBeast's HR document outlines unique company culture

Despite controversies and lawsuits, Jimmy Donaldson, known as YouTube creator MrBeast, has built a $700 million business, and a leaked internal document that is given to new hires outlines the company's culture and expectations, which author Chris Stokel-Walker says leaders could learn from. In the document, Donaldson encourages new hires to be innovative and break traditional rules of video production, to focus on creativity over bringing in money and says the company measures success not by the hours they work but by the product they produce.

Put it into practice: Donaldson's company eschews hierarchy with the internal HR document promising career growth for those who want it. "This isn't a stepping stone; this is your final destination. We will win, and we are going to build something amazing," the document says.

Business is always in flux and leaders who stand still are in danger of becoming obsolete, which means they should focus on change management and organizational agility as core principles of leadership and embrace uncertainty, writes executive coach Dave Coffaro. "Leaders who recognize and embrace this reality will be better equipped to navigate the complexities of our business operating environment, preparing their organizations not only to survive but thrive," Coffaro writes.

Put it into practice: Leaders must stay on their toes to recognize industry changes as they occur and empower all employees and stakeholders to be "early warning indicators," Coffaro writes. "By inviting employees to identify and help address shifts in the way the company does business, leaders create engagement and elevate organizational agility."

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's memo requiring employees to return to the office five days a week is a good example of how leaders should communicate such news, writes Ragan editor Sean Devlin, who points to Jassy's acknowledgment that it will not be an easy transition for some and Amazon's practice of empowering managers to have difficult conversations. Return to office orders will not please everyone, but Devlin notes that when they keep employees and culture "at the heart of the message," it should withstand criticism.

Put it into practice: Any return to the office order should have a clearly defined "why," Devlin notes. "This helps managers navigate through the stressful time and can even boost employee retention when presented as an opportunity for employee growth."

Individuals with higher life satisfaction and happiness have a significantly lower risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers suggest that promoting emotional well-being through lifestyle interventions like physical activity and stress management could play a key role in preventing heart-related conditions.

Researchers analyzed the brush strokes in Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night" and found that they exhibit patterns of microscale turbulence. The study in Physics of Fluids shows that the scaling of brushstrokes creates an illusion of movement, aligning with the Kolmogorov and Batchelor scaling laws, highlighting Van Gogh's understanding of natural phenomena and its connection to atmospheric turbulence.

I was yesterday-years-old when I watched my first video from MrBeast, Jimmy Donaldson. Apparently, I'm the last to know about this YouTube sensation. He's attracted many eyeballs and lawsuits with his out-of-the-box thinking and ways of doing business.

The leaked internal human resources memo shows the open thinking Donaldson employs, telling new hires that they're expected to be creative, prizing it above the bottom line (knowing that genuinely innovative ideas will bring in business) and giving them the autonomy they need to break conventional rules in pursuit of innovation.

It's apparently working for Donaldson and his company despite the controversies around other business practices. In fact, research has shown that companies thrive when they give their teams the freedom and resources they need to innovate, break conventional rules, work on their terms and be judged by their final product and not whether they spent eight solid hours at their desk.

As a leader, are there policies and things you can change to give your teams more control over their jobs? If you can, you may find they'll be more productive and engaged.

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