What has worked since the earliest days would be the infamous rule uttered since the site's conception, "If you want change, you lead by example."
From the days of Ayanavi, Misuto, and *insertnamehere* to MKOLLER, BarabiSama, and Kurosuke. These people made huge contributions to the community and dare I argue, they became local legends within this site. The first three laid down the foundation of this site's culture just 20 days after it was first online, and then sticking with it, followed by their countless successors, the latter three, and finally us today. Of course, the last three also contributed massively in the Missions board. They neatly organized and indexed every last thread into one place, easier said than done tbh but they did it.
If you can prove your worth to the community, then everyone will regard you as worthy of being their leader. Simple as that really, I think.
In the words of divineraccoon,The Dollars is not good; the Dollars is not bad. The Dollars may not even be neutral. It is nothing, it is the void, the aether by which we act and discern judgement upon matters without the input of outside influences save those we allow to affect our opinions personally. The Dollars is, in a sense, pure and free.