Amazon’s Leadership Principles directly shape their behavioural interview questions, often using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to assess how you’ve acted in real scenarios.
Contents
- 1 🧭 Amazon Leadership Principles
- 1.1 🔹 1. Customer Obsession
- 1.2 🔹 2. Ownership
- 1.3 🔹 3. Invent and Simplify
- 1.4 🔹 4. Are Right, A Lot
- 1.5 🔹 5. Learn and Be Curious
- 1.6 🔹 6. Hire and Develop the Best
- 1.7 🔹 7. Insist on the Highest Standards
- 1.8 🔹 8. Think Big
- 1.9 🔹 9. Bias for Action
- 1.10 🔹 10. Frugality
- 1.11 🔹 11. Earn Trust
- 1.12 🔹 12. Dive Deep
- 1.13 🔹 13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
- 1.14 🔹 14. Deliver Results
- 1.15 🆕 15. Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
- 1.16 🆕 16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
- 2 📌 Summary Table
- 2.1 🔹 1. Customer Obsession
- 2.2 🔹 2. Ownership
- 2.3 🔹 3. Invent and Simplify
- 2.4 🔹 4. Are Right, A Lot
- 2.5 🔹 5. Learn and Be Curious
- 2.6 🔹 6. Hire and Develop the Best
- 2.7 🔹 7. Insist on the Highest Standards
- 2.8 🔹 8. Think Big
- 2.9 🔹 9. Bias for Action
- 2.10 🔹 10. Frugality
- 2.11 🔹 11. Earn Trust
- 2.12 🔹 12. Dive Deep
- 2.13 🔹 13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
- 2.14 🔹 14. Deliver Results
- 2.15 🔹 15. Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
- 2.16 🔹 16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
- 3 🎯 Summary: Alignment Table
🧭 Amazon Leadership Principles
🔹 1. Customer Obsession
Amazon starts with the customer and works backward. This principle means deeply understanding customer needs, even when they aren’t explicitly stated.
- Listen, invent, and serve.
- Think long-term value, not short-term wins.
- Challenge decisions that do not benefit customers.
“Leaders obsess over customers, not competitors.”
🔹 2. Ownership
True owners think long-term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act beyond their job title and never say, “that’s not my job.”
- Take accountability even when things go wrong.
- Think about the impact of your decisions on the entire organisation.
- Fix root causes, not just symptoms.
🔹 3. Invent and Simplify
Innovation is expected at every level. Leaders seek out new solutions and reduce complexity.
- Be willing to fail and iterate.
- Leverage automation and process improvement.
- Remove unnecessary steps or waste.
“No one ever said simplifying is easy—but it is essential.”
🔹 4. Are Right, A Lot
Good instincts and strong judgment are critical. Leaders seek diverse input and disconfirm their assumptions before acting.
- Admit when you’re wrong, learn from it.
- Balance data with intuition.
- Build credibility over time through consistent results.
🔹 5. Learn and Be Curious
Never stop improving. Whether it’s a new tool, trend, or method, always be learning.
- Attend workshops, read, ask questions.
- Share what you’ve learned.
- Encourage others to be curious too.
🔹 6. Hire and Develop the Best
Leaders recruit and grow exceptional people. They recognise talent, give feedback, and develop successors.
- Set high hiring standards.
- Mentor and promote deserving talent.
- Celebrate growth and coach through failure.
🔹 7. Insist on the Highest Standards
Set the bar high—and keep raising it. Don’t accept “good enough.”
- Call out defects.
- Push for continuous improvement.
- Take pride in operational excellence.
“Leaders have relentlessly high standards—many may think these standards are unreasonably high.”
🔹 8. Think Big
Visionary thinking isn’t just for executives. It’s expected at all levels.
- Inspire others with bold ideas.
- Take calculated risks.
- Build for scalability, not just local optimisation.
🔹 9. Bias for Action
Speed matters in business. Most decisions are reversible, so make them quickly and adjust if needed.
- Don’t wait for perfect data.
- Empower others to act.
- Fail fast, learn faster.
🔹 10. Frugality
Constraints force creativity. Amazon encourages solving problems without massive budgets or teams.
- Reuse before buying.
- Build lean MVPs.
- Focus on cost-effective innovation.
🔹 11. Earn Trust
Trust is built through integrity, transparency, and respect.
- Be open and honest—even when it’s hard.
- Assume good intent but verify.
- Hold yourself and others to commitments.
🔹 12. Dive Deep
Leaders are not above details. They stay close to data, operations, and technical challenges.
- Ask probing questions.
- Audit frequently.
- Don’t rely solely on what others report—verify facts.
🔹 13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Healthy disagreement is vital—but once a decision is made, commit fully.
- Speak up respectfully when you disagree.
- Escalate if necessary.
- After a decision: align and move forward without resentment.
🔹 14. Deliver Results
Effort isn’t enough—outcomes matter. Leaders focus on the right metrics and consistently deliver.
- Prioritise effectively.
- Clear roadblocks.
- Finish what you start, with quality and speed.
🆕 15. Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
Amazon believes a thriving business must also be a safe, inclusive, and empowering workplace.
- Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Eliminate unsafe or unhealthy work conditions.
- Improve well-being at all levels.
🆕 16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
With Amazon’s reach comes the duty to be socially and environmentally responsible.
- Consider long-term global impact.
- Minimise environmental harm.
- Be a good neighbour in every country Amazon operates.
📌 Summary Table
| Principle | Core Idea |
|---|---|
| Customer Obsession | Start with the customer, work backwards |
| Ownership | Take full responsibility for outcomes |
| Invent and Simplify | Innovate and reduce complexity |
| Are Right, A Lot | Strong judgment and instincts |
| Learn and Be Curious | Always seek knowledge and improvement |
| Hire and Develop the Best | Build strong teams, grow others |
| Insist on the Highest Standards | Never settle for “good enough” |
| Think Big | Envision bold, scalable solutions |
| Bias for Action | Act fast, fail fast, adjust fast |
| Frugality | Innovate with less |
| Earn Trust | Be honest, respectful, and consistent |
| Dive Deep | Understand the details |
| Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit | Challenge then commit |
| Deliver Results | Prioritise outcomes over effort |
| Earth’s Best Employer | Build a safe, empowering workplace |
| Broad Responsibility | Be accountable to society and the planet |
Here’s how each principle aligns to behavioural questions, with example prompts:
🔹 1. Customer Obsession
What they’re looking for: Do you deeply understand and prioritise customer needs?
Sample question:
“Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a customer.”
🔹 2. Ownership
What they’re looking for: Do you take responsibility, even outside your remit?
Sample question:
“Describe a time when you took ownership of a problem that wasn’t technically your job.”
🔹 3. Invent and Simplify
What they’re looking for: Can you innovate and reduce complexity?
Sample question:
“Have you ever created a simpler or more efficient process?”
🔹 4. Are Right, A Lot
What they’re looking for: Can you show sound judgment and admit when wrong?
Sample question:
“Tell me about a time you made a decision with incomplete data. What happened?”
🔹 5. Learn and Be Curious
What they’re looking for: Do you continuously learn and improve?
Sample question:
“Give an example of something new you taught yourself and applied in your role.”
🔹 6. Hire and Develop the Best
What they’re looking for: Do you raise the performance bar?
Sample question:
“Tell me how you’ve helped someone improve their performance or career.”
🔹 7. Insist on the Highest Standards
What they’re looking for: Do you maintain and demand quality?
Sample question:
“Describe a time when you refused to compromise on quality.”
🔹 8. Think Big
What they’re looking for: Are you visionary and bold?
Sample question:
“Have you proposed a project or idea that significantly changed something in your company?”
🔹 9. Bias for Action
What they’re looking for: Can you make fast, informed decisions?
Sample question:
“Tell me about a time you made a decision quickly with limited information.”
🔹 10. Frugality
What they’re looking for: Can you solve problems without big budgets?
Sample question:
“Describe a project where you achieved results despite budget or resource constraints.”
🔹 11. Earn Trust
What they’re looking for: Are you honest, respectful, and trustworthy?
Sample question:
“Tell me about a time you had to earn the trust of a difficult colleague or client.”
🔹 12. Dive Deep
What they’re looking for: Do you know your work at a granular level?
Sample question:
“Give an example of a time you found a problem others missed by digging into the details.”
🔹 13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
What they’re looking for: Can you challenge ideas constructively and align afterwards?
Sample question:
“Tell me about a time you strongly disagreed with a decision. What did you do?”
🔹 14. Deliver Results
What they’re looking for: Can you execute under pressure and deliver?
Sample question:
“Describe a high-pressure project and how you ensured successful delivery.”
🔹 15. Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
What they’re looking for: Do you care about inclusion, safety, and employee wellbeing?
Sample question:
“How have you contributed to a positive, inclusive, or safe work culture?”
🔹 16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
What they’re looking for: Are you socially and environmentally aware?
Sample question:
“Tell me about a decision you made that had a broad impact on others or the environment.”
🎯 Summary: Alignment Table
| Principle | Behavioural Focus | Common Question Type |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Obsession | Going the extra mile for users | Customer-first thinking |
| Ownership | Accountability beyond scope | Problem-solving ownership |
| Invent and Simplify | Creative problem-solving | Process or tooling innovation |
| Are Right, A Lot | Judgement, learning from mistakes | Decisive thinking with imperfect info |
| Learn and Be Curious | Growth mindset | Upskilling and curiosity examples |
| Hire and Develop the Best | Team growth | Mentorship and recruitment |
| Insist on the Highest Standards | Quality control | Raising the bar |
| Think Big | Vision and strategy | Scaling ideas, bold proposals |
| Bias for Action | Speed and agility | Fast, autonomous decision-making |
| Frugality | Efficiency | Doing more with less |
| Earn Trust | Integrity and collaboration | Resolving conflict and building trust |
| Dive Deep | Attention to detail | Root cause analysis |
| Have Backbone; Disagree & Commit | Challenging constructively, committing fully | Professional disagreement scenarios |
| Deliver Results | Focus and execution | Meeting goals and overcoming obstacles |
| Earth’s Best Employer | People-first leadership | Cultural and team wellbeing |
| Broad Responsibility | Global, ethical thinking | Decisions with environmental/social impact |