What if everything you thought you knew about management was outdated?

For decades, organisations have relied on hierarchical structures, top-down leadership, and rigid management frameworks. But there is a ripple of maverick founders proving that there’s another way—one that fosters innovation, distributes power, and creates workplaces where people thrive.

These pioneers have embraced self-management, drawing from systems like Holacracy, Sociocracy, and Semco Style, as well as custom-built approaches that suit their unique cultures.

I had the privilege of sitting down with five of these extraordinary founders who have successfully navigated this transformation. Their experiences highlight five key lessons that can help any organisation take the first steps toward self-management.

The journey towards self-management doesn’t require a dramatic, overnight overhaul. Instead, start small and find what works for your team.

Natacha Neumann, founder of a well-known children’s food brand erdbär Freche Freunde and president of the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in Berlin, learned this lesson first-hand. Her team initially adopted Holacracy as a framework to lean on**.** A structured system with defined roles and decision-making processes. But as they grew, they realised that strict adherence to Holacracy wasn’t always practical. While Holacracy gave them some tools to begin the journey, they needed new ways of working that were more unique to them.  

So, they adapted.

Rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all model, they evolved their own way of working—one that felt natural to their team’s DNA.

The takeaway? Don’t get bogged down in dogma. Experiment with small changes, see what works, and iterate from there. Ask yourself:

👉 What’s one small experiment we could try first?Self-management might sound revolutionary, radical even –  but it’s not a new concept.

Tom van der Lubbe, co-founder of Viisi, a Dutch mortgage advisory company and the first financial services organisation to be a 100% self-managing; reminds us that self-managed systems have existed for centuries.

From tribal communities to natural ecosystems, self-organising principles are all around us. They are not just a corporate experiment; they are deeply human, natural ways of working together.

Tom’s lesson? Don’t treat self-management as the latest corporate trend. Instead, study its history, anthropology, and proven methodologies. By understanding its roots, you can adapt timeless principles to design your own way of working. Transparency is not just a value—it’s a tool for accountability and collaboration.

Bomee Jung, co-founder of Cadence OneFive, a horizontal organisation based in New York, understood this from day one. Even before hiring their first employee, Bomee created a manifesto that defined the open, non-traditional culture she wanted to build.

At Cadence OneFive, the default setting is openness.

Decisions, challenges, and knowledge are shared openly, fostering trust and resilience. Many organisations fear transparency, assuming it could lead to chaos. But as Bomee points out, the opposite is true:✔ Openness builds trust.**** ✔ Trust enables autonomy.**** ✔ Autonomy fuels self-management.

If you’re moving towards self-management, ask yourself:

👉 *Where can we default to open?*Self-management starts with self-leadership.

Charlotte van Leeuwen, founder of a visual communications agency in the Netherlands, quickly realised that building a self-managing organisation required more than just structural changes—it demanded deep personal work.

Charlotte confronted her own assumptions, habits, and blind spots, investing in coaching, meditation, and personal development. In traditional companies, leaders wield authority through power. But in self-managing organisations, leaders must let go of control and empower their teams instead.

Charlotte’s key takeaway?**** “If you want to lead in a self-managing organisation, you’ve got to do the internal work first.”

Ask yourself:👉 What personal habits or beliefs might be getting in the way of self-management?Self-management is not a destination—it’s a continuous journey.

Pieter Jelle de Brue CEO of Statik, a creative agency that has been self-managing for over 12 years, stresses that culture is never static. (Pun intended!)

Many companies view cultural transformation as a one-time project. But as Pieter points out, culture is dynamic. As organisations evolve—through market changes, global events, or internal growth—the way they operate must evolve too.

Even after a decade of self-management, Statik continues to refine its approach. The key is to embrace continuous learning and adaptation rather than expecting a perfect, fixed system.

The lesson?👉 Think of self-management as an ongoing experiment, not a final state.These five founders prove that self-management isn’t just a theoretical concept—it’s a real, effective, and sustainable way to run an organisation.

But it’s not about copying a rigid framework or following a trendy business model. Instead, it’s about:✅ Starting small and experimenting.✅ Recognising self-management’s deep roots.**** ✅ Embracing openness and transparency.**** ✅ Doing the personal work required for leadership.**** ✅ Understanding that the journey never truly ends.

If you’re curious about how these maverick founders built their organisations, you can listen to their full stories on the Make it Thrive podcast—available on Spotify and other platforms.

Are you ready to rethink management and embrace self-organisation? Let’s start the conversation. 🚀