Amazon Leadership Principles: A Short Guide

Amazon Leadership Principles
A SHORT GUIDE
Overview of the Interview Process
 Functional and Technical competencies to 1-2 interviewers

 Assign 1-2 Amazon Leadership Principles to all interviewers
 Behavioral interviewing is focused on specific examples of performance
 Prompt using STAR approach
 Ask probing and challenging questions
 Assess via competency rating from a scale of concern-strength
The STAR Method
 Each interviewer assigned 2/3 LPs to investigate
 Use STAR method to evaluate each behavioral question

 SITUATION/TASK-Describe the situation/task you faced and the context of the story. Where/When/Why
 ACTION-What actions did you? What did you personally own, how did you do it, who else was involved?
 RESULTS- How did you measure success for this project? What results did you achieve? (Cost saving,
process improvement, customer etc.)
 For each description there will be probing and challenging questions
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.
 Customers could be external (buyers, sellers) or internal (stakeholder teams)
 Possible Questions:
 Tell me about a time you used customer feedback to change the way you worked.
 When do you think it’s ok to push back or say no to an unreasonable customer request?
2. Ownership
 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”.
 Tell me about a time when you took on something significant outside your area of responsibility.
Why was it important? What was the outcome?
3. Dive Deep
 Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are
skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ.
 No task is beneath them.
 Tell me about a problem you had to solve that required in-depth thought and analysis
 Root-cause analysis/metric creation
4. 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.
 Describe the most innovative thing you’ve done and why you thought it was innovative.
 Have you ever made something simpler for a customer?
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.
 Describe a time when someone on your team challenged you to think differently about a
problem.
 Describe a time when you took on work outside of your comfort area.
6. Bias for Action
 Speed matters in business.

 Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study.
 We value calculated risk taking – 2 way doors.
 Tell me about a time when you had to gather information and respond immediately to a situation
7. Earn Trust
 Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully.

 They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing.
 They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.
 Give me an example of a tough or critical piece of feedback you received. What was it and what
did you do about it?
8. 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.
 Give me an example of how you have helped save costs or eliminate waste within your role or
organization.
 Made process improvements, cost savings etc.
9. 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.
 Tell me about a time when you had significant, unanticipated obstacles to overcome in achieving
a key goal.
10. 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.
 Tell me about a time when you didn't have enough data to make the right decision.
11. Insist on the Highest Standards
 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.
 Tell me about a time when you used feedback about your team to drive a change.
12. 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.
 Give me an example of a time you proposed a novel approach to a problem.
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.
 Tell me about a time when you pushed back against a decision that negatively impacted your
team.
14. 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.
 Tell me about a time when you provided coaching/mentored a team member.

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Amazon Leadership Principles

 Functional and Technical competencies to 1-2 interviewers

 Each interviewer assigned 2/3 LPs to investigate

 Use STAR method to evaluate each behavioral question

 Leaders start with the customer and work backwards.

 Speed matters in business.

 Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully.

 Accomplish more with less.

 Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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