Ricardo Semler inherited his family company, Semco - manufacturer of marine pumps, industrial dishwashers and mixing equipment - when he was 19. Soon, by 1980, it was on the brink of bankruptcy, but a decade later, during a period of savage recession in Brazil, it had been transformed into a rapidly-growing company with profits of 10% on sales of $37 million. This was achieved by throwing out the rule-book and getting rid of all manuals and written procedures.