GEL Studios: An emergent Journey towards the RDHY model
By Mirko Kleiner | Blog Series | August 2026
The future of organizations won’t be shaped by AI alone. At the LAP Alliance, we connect Leadership, New Operating Models, Business Ecosystems, and emerging Technologies to explore what it really takes to thrive in the AI Era.
One standout example is Haier — a global pioneer that transformed from a traditional manufacturer into an entrepreneurial ecosystem, inspiring progressive organizations worldwide while achieving remarkable, sustained 20% growth.
I’m honored to be part of a select group of international experts collaborating with the Haier Model Institute, alongside thought leaders including Gary Hamel, Bill Fischer, and Umberto Lago.
This year, the LAP Alliance will once again join the Haier ZeroDX Forum & Awards — where pioneers from around the world come together to share how they are reinventing management.
In this new blog series, we’ll bring those insights to you: real cases, bold experiments, and practical lessons from the Haier Zero Distance Excellence Awards 2026 — exploring how AI, entrepreneurship, and business ecosystems are redefining the future of organizations.
Post 3 - Gel Studios Case Study
Embrear, Global, http://embraer.com/
By Simon Reindl interviewing xx, xx | Gel Studios
Guest Case Study | August 2026
The natural, implicit adoption of the RenDenHeyYi model by GEL Studios is a credible example of applying the core principles to guide growth through self-management and close collaboration with the customer.
GEL Studios is a purpose-led creative agency based in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. They operate at the intersection of human-centred design, digital delivery and positive change. GEL Studios was founded by Graeme Leighfield in 2013 with a staff of 2 and has grown into one of the largest creative agencies in South West England.
The purpose-led approach was key to the founder, Graeme, from the point of starting the company. Growing the agency through a principled approach was a fundamental decision Graeme made when establishing the company. Initially, the focus was on customer satisfaction.
Image source: Gel Studio
In 2015, Advanced Product Delivery collaborated with GEL Studios to help define the company's vision and values. This helped Graeme establish a clear purpose and a way of working with customers and the people of GEL Studios, making this an instructive case for understanding RDHY as a directional approach adaptable to entrepreneurial growth.
Image source: Gel Studio
From the outset, GEL Studios focused on creating value for customers by understanding them. They naturally applied the Zer0 distance approach, working to understand the real need and the core problem to be solved. As the number of staff grew, the emphasis was on learning as an organisation and adapting to improve value delivery.
As the organisation grew, a number of different models were explored and used. Ultimately, GEL Studios crafted their own management framework based on 3 core principles that are closely aligned to RDHY.
· Individuals can clearly state the intent or the why of their work.
· The connection to the client and the social benefit is clear
· High levels of transparency between team members
Following these principles helped everyone in the organisation dynamically form teams to deliver on specific pieces of work. These range from short pieces to longer ones spanning months. The client is a key member of the team, embodying the zero distance concept.
RDHY Principle 1: Zero Distance to users and value
RDHY Intent: To eliminate organisational distance between the individual and the value they create for the users.
GEL team members work directly with the organisation owners and end users, including them within the project team. The designers, marketers, researchers and technologists understand the real user context, often at the place of work. By working directly with the customers and sponsoring organisation, the GEL team members see first-hand the impact of their work.
An outstanding example of this is the recent launch of the “Do Swindon” platform.[1] Working with a network of local people and organisations, GEL developed the dynamic platform to showcase the borough’s cultural offerings. The resulting platform provides a single website that connects citizens with cultural offerings.[2]
RDHY Principle 2: Zero Bureaucracy
RDHY intent: Small, autonomous units accountable for outcomes, not tasks.
As a growing organisation, GEL has adopted a dynamic teaming approach to work. For each piece of work (project), a cross-functional team is created in a self-organising manner for the duration of the work.
While these are not the long-lasting teams described in RDHY, the entire organisation is small enough that it does not lose the learning and interpersonal connections that develop from working together.
Within the project team, authority is delegated to the person closest to the problem. The key driver is delivering customer value, and the key constraint is maintaining the Average Hourly Rate. This single key metric provides targeted focus for all decisions.
RDHY Principle 3: Trust over control
RDHY intent: Remove managerial control mechanisms that suppress entrepreneurship and replace them with trust, transparency, and peer accountability.
The key to the success of the GEL Studios operating model is trust. People are expected to exercise their professional judgement, and hold each other accountable to succeed. The governance system is deliberately lightweight – to enable flexibility, with a focus on peer review, reflection, and learning over directive management.
This approach is reflected in the way they and their clients talk about working together, describing the work as a collaborative partnership. In RDHY, this is the Win-Win approach where all partners are successful.
One very human aspect of GEL Studios is the Lego wall. Graeme is a huge fan of Marvel and Lego. When they moved offices, he realised that it was all his Lego on display, not the team's. Now, each joiner chooses a Lego set to build and share as part of the onboarding process. This signifies their inclusion in the team.
[1] https://www.gelstudios.co.uk/insights/new-%E2%80%98do-swindon%E2%80%99-platform-launches-to-highlight-everything-the-town-has-to-offer/
Image source: Gel Studio
Since its founding, GEL Studios has operated with a mindset rooted in community, and it has had a positive impact in multiple ways. GEL Studios supports local causes, extending their influence beyond the organisational boundaries. At the time of writing, they have:
Supported 54 local causes - and counting.
Committed 2,757 hours to good causes.
Which is equivalent to £153,000 worth of resource.
Powered 15 life-saving missions.
Further to this, GEL Studios has invested in demonstrating its commitment to the community by achieving the B corp certification. This emphasis on sustainability further inspired them to join the Clean Creatives, an initiative that encourages them to use their talents responsibly and ethically.
The chosen approach is demonstrated in clear metrics:
GEL Studios operates with approximately 30-40% fewer people than a traditionally structured organisation for comparable output. The self-managing teams with heightened transparency reduce coordination overhead, which results in faster turnaround times and lower operational drag.
Employee retention is significantly above the industry average. This is achieved through clear autonomy and accountability, which results in the team engaging in more rewarding work.
GEL Studios has grown without scaling up headcount, enabling it to keep payroll 15% below the industry average.
Clients are delighted with the work. The average NPS is 8.7, led by clear ownership and more responsive delivery.
The structure enables constant innovation, continuous improvement, and faster adoption of new tools and working practices. This is employee-led, as opposed to top-down direction.
The next step in GEL Studios' evolution towards the RDHY model will be to connect all employees to the organisation's financial success. Central to this is a commitment to employee ownership. Upon exit, 30% of the business will be distributed among all employees, with allocation weighted by years of service. Whether a long-standing team member or someone who joined six months before exit, everyone receives a share. What is notable about this approach is where the thinking started. Rather than treating an exit as a distant consideration, Graeme established the timeline openly and worked backwards from it. Starting with the owner's own accountability, and sharing that story transparently with the team. This has been a defining act of leadership within the organisation.
To make that shared ownership meaningful in day-to-day terms, GEL Studios have adopted AHR (Average Hourly Rate) as a single, unifying business metric. Every member of the team, regardless of role, can understand how their decisions and outputs contribute to raising that number. This simplicity is intentional. It removes ambiguity, supports business performance, and forms the basis of the company's bonus structure. One metric, understood by all, owned by everyone. In many ways, it is the practical expression of the zero distance and win-win principles that have defined GEL Studios from the beginning. [GL4]
Reflecting on the story of GEL Studios, the founder Graeme Leighfield states:
“In my 14 years of running a people-first business, the RenDenHeYi model is the closest framework I've ever encountered that genuinely articulates how we operate at GEL Studios.
We've always hired for mindset over skillset, and we always will. However, that comes with greater responsibility for accountability.
For accountability to truly work, it has to be backed by a culture that puts the individual first. Without that foundation, it's just a word.”[GL5]
This emergent adoption of the RenDanHeYi model has helped GEL Studios to thrive. It is a clear example of a purpose-led, human-centric, collaborative business that delivers value while staying true to its core values and purpose.
All Posts of this Series
Post 1 - The ZeroDX Forum & Awards 2026
Post 2 - P3 Group Case Study
Post 3 - Embraer Case Study
Post 4 - Gel Studios Case Study
Post 5 - Mercedes Case Study
Post 6 - foryouandyourcustomers Case Study
Post 7 - The Haier ZeroDX Awards 2026 (Staytuned - later in Sep/Oct)