Amazon Leadership Principles

LP 1: Customer Obsession

Definition: 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.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time you dealt with a very difficult customer."
• "Describe a situation where you negotiated a win-win with a customer."
• "How do you prioritize customer needs over internal priorities?"

What to Highlight

• Going beyond requirements to understand customer pain
• Making decisions that favor customer experience over convenience
• Using customer feedback to drive changes

LP 2: Ownership

Definition: 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."

Sample Questions

• "Describe a tough situation in which you had to step into a leadership role."
• "Tell me about a tough decision you made during a project."
• "Give an example of when you took responsibility for something outside your scope."

What to Highlight

• Taking responsibility beyond your job description
• Thinking company-wide, not just team-wide
• Making decisions for long-term benefit

LP 3: Invent and Simplify

Definition: Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They're externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by "not invented here."

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time you solved a complex problem and how you went about doing it."
• "How do you handle roadblocks or obstacles?"
• "Describe when you simplified a complicated process."

What to Highlight

• Breaking down complex problems into simpler parts
• Innovating new solutions rather than just following patterns
• Learning from other companies/teams

LP 4: Are Right, A Lot

Definition: Leaders have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without much customer data."
• "Tell me about a time when you had to convince team members on something you proposed."
• "Describe a time you changed your mind based on new information."

What to Highlight

• Making good decisions with incomplete information
• Seeking diverse opinions before deciding
• Being willing to change your mind

LP 5: Learn and Be Curious

Definition: Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time when you built out a process."
• "Tell me about a skill that you recently learned."
• "Describe how you stay current with new technologies."

What to Highlight

• Self-directed learning
• Exploring new technologies/approaches
• Continuous improvement mindset

LP 6: Hire and Develop the Best

Definition: 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.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with someone. How did you resolve it and what did you learn?"
• "Tell me about a time when you fired someone."
• "Describe how you've mentored junior engineers."

What to Highlight

• Hiring for high standards
• Developing and coaching others
• Helping people grow beyond your team

LP 7: Insist on the Highest Standards

Definition: Leaders have relentlessly high standards—many people 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 that they stay fixed.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gains."
• "Tell me about a time when you made a decision based on data and you were ultimately wrong."
• "Describe when you refused to ship something that wasn't ready."

What to Highlight

• Refusing to compromise on quality
• Raising standards over time
• Fixing root causes, not just symptoms

LP 8: Think Big

Definition: 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.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about your greatest success."
• "Tell me about a time when you were creative."
• "Describe a big vision you had and how you made it happen."

What to Highlight

• Big, bold ideas and vision
• Inspiring others with your vision
• Thinking beyond current constraints

LP 9: Bias for Action

Definition: Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk-taking.

Sample Questions

• "How have you convinced others to take action?"
• "How have you managed risk in a project?"
• "Tell me about a time you moved quickly on a decision."

What to Highlight

• Making decisions with incomplete data
• Moving quickly when appropriate
• Calculated risk-taking (not reckless)

LP 10: Frugality

Definition: Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for growing head count, budget size, or fixed expense.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time you turned down more resources to complete a project."
• "Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish big results with very little budget."
• "Describe when constraints led to a better solution."

What to Highlight

• Working effectively with limited resources
• Finding creative solutions due to constraints
• Delivering results without asking for more

LP 11: Earn Trust

Definition: 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.

Sample Questions

• "Can you give me an example of how you manage conflict?"
• "How do you earn the trust of your team members?"
• "Tell me about a time you admitted a mistake publicly."

What to Highlight

• Being honest and transparent
• Admitting mistakes openly
• Treating everyone with respect

LP 12: Dive Deep

Definition: 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.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about the most complex project you've worked on."
• "Have you changed an opinion or direction using data?"
• "Describe when you had to get into the weeds to solve a problem."

What to Highlight

• Getting into details when needed
• Being data-driven
• Not being above any task

LP 13: Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Definition: 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.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with your manager."
• "How do you manage difficult conversations?"
• "Describe when you disagreed but then fully committed to a decision."

What to Highlight

• Respectfully challenging when you disagree
• Standing firm on principles
• Once decided, committing 100%

LP 14: Deliver Results

Definition: Leaders focus on 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.

Sample Questions

• "Describe a challenging project you worked on and why it was challenging."
• "How do you prioritize?"
• "Tell me about a time you delivered despite major obstacles."

What to Highlight

• Focusing on what matters most
• Delivering despite challenges
• Never settling for "good enough"

LP 15: Strive to Be Earth's Best Employer

Definition: 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?

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time when you had to motivate a team after a demoralizing event."
• "Tell me about a time when an employee gave you negative feedback."
• "Describe how you create an inclusive work environment."

What to Highlight

• Creating great work environments
• Helping people grow and develop
• Leading with empathy

LP 16: Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Definition: We started in a garage but we're not there anymore. We're big, we impact the world, and we're 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.

Sample Questions

• "Tell me about a time you had a problem and how you discovered the real cause."
• "Describe a time when your project failed."
• "How do you think about the broader impact of your work?"

What to Highlight

• Thinking about broader impact
• Being humble and learning from failures
• Leaving things better than you found them

1. Don't Repeat Stories

Amazon interviewers compare notes. If you use the same story multiple times, it signals lack of experience. Prepare multiple stories per LP.

2. Share Trade-offs

Amazon values thinking through pros and cons. When describing decisions, explicitly mention:

• What you considered
• What you chose not to do and why
• The trade-offs you weighed

3. Be a Good Storyteller

Include:

• Conflicts you faced
• Obstacles you overcame
• Twists in the plot (success isn't a straight line)

This makes your stories memorable and shows you understand that real work involves challenges.

4. Use STAR/CARL Method

Structure your responses clearly. Amazon interviewers are trained to listen for specific elements. Make it easy for them to find what they're looking for.

5. Connect Stories to LPs

While you don't need to explicitly say "This demonstrates Ownership," your story should clearly show the LP in action. Prepare a mapping: which stories demonstrate which LPs.