Amazon outlines 16 leadership principles that mark the kind of behavior valued in their company’s culture. In this article, we’ll dive into each of these principles and give you actionable advice to excel at the things Amazon values most in your interview!
They are:
- Cusomter Obsession
- Ownership
- Invent and Simplify
- Are Right, A Lot
- Learn and Be Curious
- Hire and Develop the Best
- Insist on the Highest Standards
- Think Big
- Bias for Action
- Frugality
- Earn Trust
- Dive Deep
- Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
- Deliver Results
- Strive to be Earth’s best Employer
- Success and Scale bring broad responsibility
Two Pieces of Advice for ALL the principles
- You’ll always benefit more from being able to cite specific examples that can support the positive qualities you want to project. However, you obviously don’t need to have 16 different great stories memorized to do well here. Think about how you can fit a few of your most impressive examples to showcase multiple different qualities each!
- You don’t need to be necessarily experienced in management positions to answer these questions well! Leadership can come even when you are simply part of a group or project rather than the head of it! You can project leadership through proactivity and responsibility even when you are not in an official leadership position!
1. Customer Obsession
"Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers."
Related Questions
- Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult customer.
- Describe a time when you went above and beyond for a customer
Amazon cares about its customers and there’s a reason this is #1 on the list. In answering these questions, it goes without saying that you should appear to be prioritizing customers over all else. Keep the example as specific as possible, ideally a story involving a real customer! Answering this question could also involve responding to customer feedback indirectly!
2. Ownership
"Leaders are owners. They think long term and don't sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say "that's not my job."
Related Questions
- Can you provide an example of when you went above and beyond for a role?
- Can you give an example of when you took ownership of a problem that wasn't initially yours?
Amazon wants to know that you can take on responsibilities outside of your specific role to be proactive in solving problems. A great way to answer this question would be to specifically lay out the explicit responsibilities of your prior job, and then explain how you went beyond those responsibilities in an important situation.
3. Invent and Simplify
"Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by "not invented here." As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time."
Related Questions
- Tell me about a time when you found a novel solution to a problem at work.
- Tell me about a time when you found a simple solution to a difficult problem.
There are two parts of this principle. First, you want to show that you can think outside of the box (or can accept ideas from outside of the box). Give examples of when you or your coworkers approached a problem in a nontraditional way that was effective! Second, you want to show that you can simplify the complex in order to find those noteworthy new solutions! Here, you may think about how you broke a hard problem into smaller ones or approached it with a new perspective!
4. Are Right, A Lot
"Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs."
Related Questions
- Tell me about a time you didn’t understand a problem or task. How did you clarify it?
- Describe a time when you made a mistake. How did you go about correcting it?
While this principle may seem like it’s asking you to talk about how you are smart and always correct, that’s a poor way to approach answering these questions. Rather, Amazon wants to know how you come to your conclusions. To answer these, you should show that you will be proactive in clarifying your beliefs. You might describe when you asked and listened to other coworkers to get a holistic understanding of an issue, or when you actively clarified a task with your boss! Amazon wants you to be right, a lot, but being right comes down to your learning process far more than your innate knowledge.
5. Learn and Be Curious
"Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them."
Related Questions
- What did you do in the last year to improve your knowledge?
- Describe a project you had to complete without knowing all the details
As always, specific answers here are preferable. Think of moments where you took the initiative to figure out a new way of doing things at work or in your personal life. Additionally, show curiosity in the interview itself! You can project a curious personality by asking for clarification during the interview, or coming up with good specific questions for the interviewer about Amazon.
6. Hire and Develop the Best
"Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice."
Related Questions
- Describe a time where you helped a coworker
- How do you go about delegating responsibilities?
You might find it more difficult to fit this leadership role if you haven’t been in a hiring position before, but you can still show that you can be a mentor or advisor to your colleagues. You want to show that you are not an individualist here, but a collaborator who is always thinking about how to make your team or colleagues more productive.
7. Insist on the Highest Standards
"Leaders have relentlessly high standards—many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high-quality products, services, and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed, so they stay fixed."
Related Questions
- Tell me about a time you were unsatisfied with a solution to a problem. What did you do?
- Describe a project that you wish you would’ve done better.
To answer questions like these, focus on your dedication to quality and iterative improvement. Share real examples of how setting high goals or ambitions helped you achieve more (even if those ambitions WERE unrealistic). Amazon doesn’t want you to settle for “good enough”, so show that you will always raise the bar.
8. Think Big
"Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers."
Related Questions
- Describe a project where you took a bold or unconventional approach. What was your vision, and what was the outcome?
- How do you balance thinking big with maintaining practical and achievable milestones?
Similar to the previous principle, about ambition, thinking big focuses on your ability to take good risks and approach challenges from a wide range of perspectives. Any examples of where you encouraged innovative solutions or long-term changes in your previous careers would be great here. Additionally, make sure you focus on how you break down bold ambitions into specific and actionable steps to make the direction realistic.
9. Bias for Action
"Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking"
Related Questions
- Can you provide an example of a time when you had to make a quick decision with limited information?
- Describe a time when you encountered a significant obstacle or delay. How did you address the issue and keep the project moving forward?
Amazon doesn’t just want you to know when to act, it wants you to be biased towards it. That means they value quick impactful decisions and fast-paced calculated risks a lot. Here, you can describe moments where you identified opportunities and proactively addressed them rather than waiting for approval.
10. Frugality
"Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense."
Related Questions
- Tell me about a time when you managed to cut costs without sacrificing quality.
- Can you give an example of making tough decisions to manage resources effectively?
Amazon wants you to show that you won’t suck up their resources. Give evidence for your ability to achieve outstanding results while working with limited resources. Share situations where you faced constraints—whether budgetary, time-related, or resource-based—and still managed to deliver. It’s even better if you explain how exactly you worked within those contraints and the specific steps you took to mitigate a frugal amount of resources.
11 Earn Trust
"Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their team's body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best."
Related Questions
- Describe a time when you had to give difficult feedback to a colleague or team member.
- Describe an instance where you had to rely on someone else's expertise to make a decision.
Your answers here should demonstrate humility and self-awareness. Amazon wants you to “earn trust” by being realistic and reliable. Your responses should show your ability to engage with different perspectives and ensure transparency at work. Any examples of where you were committed to honesty even when there were setbacks or failures will work great.
12 Dive Deep
"Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdotes differ. No task is beneath them."
Related Questions
- How do you go about monitoring the ongoing progress of a long-term project?
- Can you give an example of a time when the expected results differed from the actual ones? What did you do?
You’ll notice that Amazon has both a “big picture”, “bias for action”, and “dive deep” principle. When answering these, make sure you don’t “dive deep” into something that is something that could instead fall under the prior two principles. Instead, share experiences when you’ve encountered problems important enough that you needed to roll up your sleeves and go into the weeds. You should justify why you needed to go through the specifics here. Additionally, mentioning how you track progress (concrete quantitative metrics are best here) on your projects is always a plus.
13 Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
"Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly."
Related Questions
- Tell me about a time when your team or company made a decision that you disagreed with. How did you handle your role following the decision?
- What do you do when you believe strongly in an idea but face significant opposition?
Amazon essentially outlines exactly what they’re looking for in this quote. They want to hire those who are respectful rebels, not just “yes-men”. Show you’re a person who isn’t afraid to stand against the status-quo—if it means getting things right. Of course, the second part of this example is to show that once a decision has been finalized, you’ll get on board regardless of whether it was your idea. Fierce independence before the course is set, then strong commitment after it has been.
14 Deliver Results
"Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle."
Related Questions
- Tell me about a time when you had to prioritize certain tasks or projects over others to meet a deadline. How did you decide what to prioritize?
- What's an example of a goal you achieved that required you to overcome several obstacles?
To excel at your answers, remember to always quantify when you can. If you increased sales, specify by how much in percentage or dollar terms. If you improved efficiency, specify by what margin. It’s even better if these positive results can be accompanied by compelling stories about setbacks or problems. Additionally, when describing what you prioritized, make sure you justify the thought process that went into it (which priority was more important to achieve good results?).
15 Strive to be Earth's Best Employer
"Leaders work every day to create a safer, more productive, higher performing, more diverse, and more just work environment. They lead with empathy, have fun at work, and make it easy for others to have fun. Leaders ask themselves: Are my fellow employees growing? Are they empowered? Are they ready for what's next? Leaders have a vision for and commitment to their employees' personal success, whether that be at Amazon or elsewhere."
Related Questions
- What do you see as the fundamental characteristics of organizations that create an inclusive environment?
- Describe a time when you had to lead a team through a difficult situation. How did you ensure that the work environment remained positive and productive?
Here, you can let loose a bit and show some of your more empathetic and emotional side. Any examples of taking feedback, teambuilding, or simply kind acts you’ve done at work will be great to mention. Furthermore, make sure you project a sense of inclusion and care for different co-workers or employees. Show that you can adjust to working with different kinds of people with different strengths and weaknesses!
16 Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
"We started in a garage, but we're not there anymore. We are big, we impact the world, and we are far from perfect. We must be humble and thoughtful about even the secondary effects of our actions. Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day. We must begin each day with a determination to make better, do better, and be better for our customers, our employees, our partners, and the world at large. And we must end every day knowing we can do even more tomorrow. Leaders create more than they consume and always leave things better than how they found them."
Related Questions
- How do you ensure that your decisions reflect a commitment to sustainability and long-term success rather than just short-term gain
- Can you describe a project you led that not only met its goals but also had a positive impact on the community or environment?
This principle is about showing you can recognize that your decision has impacts beyond immediate business outcomes that you should care about. You should show that you consider long-term consequences and can reasonably weigh them against short-term gains. Any work, professional or personal, that you’ve done that has had a positive impact on communities is great to mention. Additionally, you should demonstrate an interest in keeping the work sustainable for both the organization and the world.
Armed with preparation for these 16 principles, you’re sure to boost your chances for your next Amazon interview. Remember to be specific, project confidence, and send a thank-you email after the interview!
