A Critique of the Amazon Leadership Principles, Part 4
In Part 1 of my Critique of the Amazon Leadership Principles, I covered the first two principles of Amazon’s guiding documentation: Customer Obsession; and Ownership. In Part 2, I went over three more principles: Invent and Simplify; Are Right, A Lot; and Learn and Be Curious. In Part 3, I covered these three principles: Hire and Develop the Best; Insist on the Highest Standards; and Think Big. In this article, I will cover these leadership principles:
- Bias for Action
- Frugality
- Earn Trust
Each section begins with a quote from the original document, followed by my critique. This is a work-in-progress and I acknowledge that my critique is subject to… critique. This is Medium, so please feel free to highlight those sections with which you agree or disagree, and leave your comments.
Bias for Action
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.
I don’t have a criticism of this point, since the keyword is “calculated.” You have to take risks if you want to move beyond the status quo. I would just add that there should always be an autopsy of results. After you’ve activated your plan, you need to spend time…
