Amazon's Leadership Principles Flashcards
(50 cards)
What does ‘Customer Obsession’ mean at Amazon?
Leaders start with the customer and work backwards, focusing vigorously on earning and keeping customer trust.
How does ‘Ownership’ manifest in Amazon’s culture?
Leaders think long-term, act on behalf of the entire company, and never say ‘that’s not my job.’
What’s a key aspect of ‘Invent and Simplify’?
Leaders expect innovation, look for new ideas everywhere, and aren’t limited by ‘not invented here’ thinking.
How do leaders demonstrate they ‘Are Right, A Lot’?
They have strong judgment, good instincts, and seek diverse perspectives to challenge their beliefs.
What characterizes ‘Learn and Be Curious’ leaders?
They are never done learning, always seek to improve themselves, and are curious about new possibilities.
How do leaders ‘Hire and Develop the Best’?
They raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion, recognizing exceptional talent.
What does ‘Insist on the Highest Standards’ mean in practice?
Leaders continually raise the bar, ensure defects aren’t sent down the line, and problems are fixed to stay fixed.
How is ‘Think Big’ embodied at Amazon?
Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results and think differently to serve customers.
What’s a key aspect of ‘Bias for Action’?
Speed matters in business; many decisions are reversible and don’t require extensive study.
How does Amazon define ‘Frugality’?
Accomplish more with less, as constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention.
What’s crucial for leaders to ‘Earn Trust’?
They listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully, being vocally self-critical when necessary.
How do leaders ‘Dive Deep’?
They operate at all levels, stay connected to details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdotes differ.
What does ‘Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit’ entail?
Leaders respectfully challenge decisions, are tenacious, and commit wholly once a decision is made.
How is ‘Deliver Results’ demonstrated?
Leaders focus on key inputs, deliver with the right quality and timeliness, and never settle despite setbacks.
What does ‘Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility’ mean?
Leaders create more than they consume, always leave things better, and recognize their impact on communities and the world.
In ‘Customer Obsession,’ why do leaders pay attention to competitors?
To be aware of alternatives customers have, but they obsess over customers, not competition.
How does ‘Ownership’ relate to long-term thinking?
Leaders don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results, thinking like owners of the company.
What does it mean to accept being ‘misunderstood for long periods of time’ in ‘Invent and Simplify’?
Innovation often requires perseverance through skepticism until the value is proven.
How do leaders who ‘Are Right, A Lot’ handle being wrong?
They acknowledge mistakes, learn from them, and strive to make better decisions in the future.
Why is ‘Learn and Be Curious’ important for long-term success?
It keeps leaders and teams adaptable, innovative, and able to evolve with changing customer needs.
In ‘Hire and Develop the Best,’ what does ‘willingly move them throughout the organization’ mean?
Leaders support talent mobility to benefit the broader company, not just their own team.
How does ‘Insist on the Highest Standards’ relate to customer trust?
Consistently high standards build and maintain customer trust over time.
What’s an example of ‘looking around corners’ in ‘Think Big’?
Anticipating future customer needs or market changes before they’re obvious.
How does ‘Bias for Action’ balance with thoughtful decision-making?
It emphasizes calculated risk-taking, not recklessness, valuing speed where appropriate.
