Recognize the hierarchies in your organization (there may be several different types).
What would happen if you dropped two rungs?
Looking into the future, where would be the best place ‘down the ladder’ to be? How would you deal with this? What opportunities would present themselves?
Example: Sokubei Takatoshi, founder of the first Mitsui shop in 1616 voluntarily forsook the samurai rank to become a merchant. His foresight (and more importantly courage and conviction) in the face of a very strict feudal system led to the creation of one of the greatest and most powerful Japanese companies.
Source: Hartogh, H. (2007). They broke the mold: the spirit of creativity in Japanese enterprise.