Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, is the most popular entertainer and influencer on YouTube with a whopping 317 million followers — nearly three times the next most popular channel and rivaling the population of the United States.

As entertaining as MrBeast’s YouTube channel is, many people are more impressed with his philanthropic efforts. Donaldson has been involved with planting 20 million trees, removing 30 million pounds of trash from the ocean, establishing food banks, funding cataract surgeries to restore vision to 1,000 people, and more.

Donaldson has been able to be so generous because he’s been so successful. Between his YouTube channel and his Feastables food brand, his companies generate $700 million in revenue annually. For those unfamiliar with Donaldson, here’s something that puts an exclamation point on all that — he’s just 26 years old. I’m twice his age, and he’s the philanthropist I want to be (but never could) when I grow up.

I have watched MrBeast’s videos on YouTube; I’m a proud subscriber and a fan of the human. However, as of this weekend, I have officially spent more hours reading about Donaldson than watching his videos.

It has remained a mystery to company outsiders how Donaldson has built his empire. That is until Starter Story founder Pat Walls leaked a 36-page human resources document on X (formerly Twitter). The document is titled “How to Succeed in MrBeast Production” and is written by Donaldson.

Donaldson believes “if you attentively read and understand the knowledge here, you will be much better set up for success.” He continues, “The purpose of this is not to give you a bunch of rules to follow. … What we do here is complex and changes based on the situation.”

Most readers of this column lead and work for small businesses and do not produce viral YouTube videos. Still, Donaldson’s document provides lessons on corporate culture, motivation and collaboration that you can implement in your business. Below, in bold, are the titles of some of Donaldson’s chapters, followed by a synopsis.

The number of hours you work is irrelevant. Always have a backup day.

At my company, Berkshire Money Management, we have “Get Stuff Done” days (only we don’t say “stuff,” and neither does Donaldson). He appreciates the grinders who put in the hours, but at the end of the day, MrBeast is a results-based company. Focusing on results rather than time spent is particularly relevant for companies transitioning to hybrid or remote work models.

For managers, this means shifting from micromanaging hours to setting clear performance metrics. Are employees meeting or exceeding expectations in their roles? Results-oriented environments foster creativity and autonomy and encourage employees to focus on efficiency and impact.

I only want “A Players.”

Donaldson defines an A-player as one who is “obsessive, learns from mistakes, coachable, intelligent… sees the value of this company, and is the best in the world at their job.” As a CEO or manager, you want this from your teammates.

Being the best in the world at one’s job is likely more aspirational than literal, but the rest of those are realistic. People who are great at what they do become obsessed. The manager’s job is to help people see the value in their work as it relates to the company and give them ownership and autonomy to make mistakes they can learn from. But you’ve got to step up to coach them.

For any business leader, this approach underscores the importance of hiring and developing top talent. It’s not just about filling positions — it’s about cultivating a culture where excellence is the baseline. Are your employees engaged and constantly striving for improvement? A-players are critical for innovation and long-term success. Investing in their development and providing them with opportunities to grow is essential.

Say the negatives.

I am not always right. CEOs, especially owners, can relate to this one. CEOs are typically the ones who come up with the ideas. A good team will help the CEO execute her vision. The best teams will challenge the CEO not just to provoke thought but also to let them know when they’re considering a stupid or overly risky project. Encourage pushback, not just feedback, from your team.

It’s your fault; track the contractor.

Many managers know when to outsource or delegate. This decision to delegate could be based on deadlines, capacity, expertise, complexity, etc. However, this should not be a way to “dump” work off and lose the feel of the partnership. If the deadline approaches and the work is done poorly or not completed, that’s on you for not tracking the progress.

Team members are urged to take full ownership of their projects, follow up consistently, and never let bottlenecks or external partners dictate the success of a project. This sense of ownership ensures that no one is “dumping and forgetting” their tasks, but rather actively managing every aspect to completion.

For CEOs and managers, creating a culture of accountability is crucial. Employees must feel empowered to take responsibility for their work while simultaneously being held accountable for their results. This can be achieved through regular check-ins, clear project milestones, and fostering an environment where team members feel comfortable admitting mistakes and learning from them.

Communications lines.

Someone (emphasis on “one”) is always responsible for everything on a big project. If multiple people are responsible for the same thing, then that problem must be fixed immediately.

Higher form of communication.

Donaldson points out, “As I’m typing this, you have no idea if I’m laughing, smiling, happy, or sad. You can’t read my body language or my face, and because of that, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll understand what I’m conveying.” He says, “The worst thing you could ever do when you need something critical is email someone. The best is to talk to them in real life. It’s very important you know when to call people for stuff, grab them in real life, and when to text them.”

For business leaders, maintaining clear and open communication channels across the organization can significantly reduce misunderstandings and improve collaboration. CEOs and managers should model this behavior by being accessible, transparent and proactive in communication.

Use consultants.

“Consultants are literally a cheat code.”

Me like simple.

“The simpler the better (apply with a grain of salt).”

If I were to boil down 36 pages to five words, it would be, “Be willing to break the rules.” MrBeast has been so successful partly due to his willingness to do things differently. Readers of this column have heard that before, but there is a difference between knowing and executing. For CEOs and managers, the challenge is to adapt these strategies to their organizations, creating a culture where employees are empowered, engaged and aligned with the company’s mission.

Importantly, wholesale changes are not necessary. I’d argue that they’re not even possible. Returning to Donaldson’s “me like simple” comment, the best execution may be to embed continuous improvement into the company’s culture.

A commitment to constant innovation will result in meaningful improvements to your company. This starts by fostering a culture where feedback and pushback are regularly solicited, and innovation is encouraged and rewarded. Your team should be constantly asking: How can we improve our product? How can we enhance the customer experience? Companies can stay ahead of the competition by making incremental improvements over time.

Donaldson told his teammates, “If you read this and pass a quiz, I’ll give you $1,000.” He offered this incentive to encourage people to read the document with meaningful comprehension.

If you want your team to work toward these strategies, you may wish to borrow Donaldson’s nudge. As the late, great Charlie Munger quipped, “Show me the incentive, and I’ll show you the outcome.”

This article first appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on October 11, 2024.