Amazon Leadership Principals Flashcards
Customer Obsession
start with the customer and work backwards.
work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust.
pay attention to competitors, but obsess over customers.
Ownership
owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results.
act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team.
They never say “that’s not my job”.
Invent & Simplify
expect and require innovation and invention from their teams
always find ways to simplify
They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere
not limited by “not invented here”.
As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time
Right, A lot
right a lot
strong judgement & good instincts
seek diverse perspectives, work to disconfirm their believes
Learn & be curious
never done learning
always seek to improve
always curious about new possibilities
explore them
hire & develop the best
raise the performance bar with every hire
recognize exceptional talent, willing to move through org
develop others and take seriously their role in coaching
work on behalf of people to invent mechanisms for development
Insist on the highest standards
relentlessly high standards, some think too high
continually raise bar and drive teams to deliver high quality
ensure defects do not get sent down the line
problems fixed stay fixed
Think Big
thinking small is a self fulfilling prophecy
we create and communicate a bold direction that insprires results
think differently and look around corners for ways to help customers
Bias for Action
speed matters in business
many decisions & actions do not need extensive study
value calculated risk taking
Frugality
accomplish more with less
constraints breed resourcefullness, self efficiency, invention
no extra points for growing head count, budget size, or fixed expense
Earn trust
listen attentively, speak candidly, treat others with respect
vocally self critical, even when doing so is awkward/embarrasing
do not believe their or their bodys odor smells of perfume
benchmark themselves & teams against the best
dive deep
operate at all levels
stay connected to details
audit frequently, skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ
no task below them
Have backbone; disagree & commit
obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even if uncomfortable/exhausting
have conviction and tenacity
do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion.
decision is determined and commited to wholly
Deliver results
focus on the key inputs of their business
deliver them with the right quality, in a timely fashion
despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle
Strive to be the earth’s best employer
work evey day to create a safer, more productive, high performing, more diverse, more than “just work” enviorment
lead with empathy, have fun at work, make it easy for others
ask “are my coworkers growing?” “they empowered?” What’s next?
Success & scale broad responsibility
recognize their impact & continuously improve for the betterment of all
