Analyzing the Amazon Leadership Principles

Amazon has grown into the largest company in history and has revolutionized the way we live our lives. Becoming this much of an established part of our lives cannot be done without an excellent corporate mindset and top-notch managerial practices.

And while there are many factors that contribute to the success of Amazon and its corporate culture, this article will focus on its leadership principles and how the way the company views leadership has helped propel it to where it is today.

Amazon has a set of leadership principles that show what it values and uses as a basis for moving its business forward. Check out Amazon’s website for a list of all these principles. For this article, we will focus on three of the most important leadership principles and why they are so important for leadership in a company.

• Customer Obsession: This is the first leadership principle that Amazon lists on its site, and it is arguably the most important. As an online retail giant, Amazon must satisfy its customers, but that is not why this is the most important principle. Obsessing over the customer (or client or partner, depending on your business) is crucial for any company to grow. Any business, regardless of the industry it is in, must focus on every detail of its target audience and create an atmosphere and messaging that are targeted toward its exact needs. Because “Customer Obsession” is the number one leadership principle at the company, it is clear that Amazon focuses its leadership on mastering its understanding of its target audience. Managers are trained to lead with a customer-first mentality, which is one reason why the company is so successful.

• Learn and Be Curious: It can be easy to become arrogant and assume you are always right as a leader. After all, we see this a lot in people who find themselves in leadership roles. However, by focusing its leadership style on the willingness to learn and keep an open mind, Amazon allows its company leaders to listen to the diversity of ideas among its thousands of employees and learn from them. This diversity of opinion and openness to learning leads to greater innovation and more success.

• Bias for Action: With this leadership principle, Amazon emphasizes the need to take risks to succeed. Many companies often hinder themselves by failing to take risks. However, to grow as a business, you must be willing to analyze a situation and take calculated risks. Most decisions can be undone if need be and cause minimal harm, while the right risks can push your company forward. So, you must take risks to grow as a business.

Overall, there is a lot we can learn from Amazon’s success, and studying the company’s leadership principles is a good place to start. Effective leadership can make or break a company, so be sure you lead in the right direction!

About the Author -- Joshua Ferdman

Joshua Ferdman is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, specializing in technology, finance, and real estate. He started working in the mortgage business at the age of 16 and hasn't stopped since. Joshua always said that the most important job you can ever have is phone sales. He writes about entrepreneurship, leadership, and succeeding in the professional world.