Answers for the top 5 Amazon "Ownership"

leadership principle interview questions

This is how Amazon explains the principle:

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."

If you're not clear on what this definition of ownership means exactly, here are some other ways of
understanding it. If you show ownership, you will:

• Ignore boundaries between jobs and departments if necessary to get your project done. If you
see a problem and it’s not in your department, you will try to fix it.
• Along the same lines, you will manage every dependency and won’t make excuses if something
goes wrong. You won't say, "That wasn't my job to take care of."
• Think about the impact of your decisions on other teams, sites and the customer over time.
• Consider future outcomes (scalable, long-term value, etc.)
• Coach and mentor your team to understand the big picture, how their role supports the overall
objectives of Amazon, and how it ties to others.

There are different ways your interviewer can ask you about your ownership skills. Here are the top 5
questions, based on my experience with clients.

Top 5 Amazon interview questions asking about ownership

1. Provide an example of when you personally demonstrated ownership.

2. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.

3. Tell me about a time when you took on something significant outside your area of responsibility. Why
was it important? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a project or idea (not necessarily your own) that was implemented primarily because of your
efforts. What was your role? What was the outcome?

5. Give an example of when you saw a peer struggling and decided to step in and help. What was the
situation and what actions did you take? What was the outcome?

How to answer interview questions about

Amazon leadership principle “Deliver
Results”
The “Deliver Results” Amazon leadership principle

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.

What does the “Deliver Results” leadership principle mean?

In many ways this is the most important Amazon leadership principle.

Delivering results is the one thing you must do if you work at Amazon. The other principles are
important, but they’re merely building blocks to this one.

It’s not that the other principles aren’t important, because they definitely are. It’s just that you need to
think of them as the building blocks, and look at “Deliver Results” as the final product. The others are
intended to be the steps you need to take to get the results.

How to Answer Questions Related to the “Deliver Results” Amazon Leadership Principle

So how do you actually show in your answers that you’ve delivered results? You need to tell stories
about successes.

You can use a phrase like this to show your investment in delivering results:

“I was able to have a lot of responsibility and decision-making ability for X project, and by doing Y tasks, I
delivered results in Z number of launches.”

In this phrase you talk about the tasks you did in order to create a particular result. This will fit easily
into your PAR format answer – the situation or problem is the project you were working on and the
action step is the tasks you did in order to create successful results.

Interview Questions Related to the “Deliver Results” Leadership Principle

If your interviewer asks about this leadership principle, she or he might ask one of the following
questions:

• Describe a situation where you had to face a particularly challenging situation while working on
a project and what you did to overcome it. (Note: The challenge could be with respect to
timeline, scope, people, or a combination thereof.)
• How you check your progress against your goals?
• Do you set and communicate smart team goals, expectations, and priorities; help employees
stay focused/help others remove barriers/roadblocks towards meeting team goals?
• Tell me about a time when you were able to persevere through setbacks and overcome
obstacles to deliver outstanding results.
• Tell me about a time where you not only met the goal but considerably exceeded expectations.
How were you able to do it?
• What’s the most complex problem you’ve ever worked on?
• Have you ever worked on something really hard and then failed?
How to Answer Interview Questions about
Amazon Leadership Principle “Customer
Obsession”
Here is another way of understanding it. If you are obsessed with customers, you will:

• Collect data on and deeply understand what your customer wants and needs
• Ask, “Is what I’m working on helping my customers?”
• Rigorously pursue customer feedback
• “WOW’ your customers
• Provide products and solutions that exceed customer expectations
• Remove steps in your process that don't add value
• Treat your customers like they’re #1

What are examples of “Customer Obsession” interview questions?

I've explained what this Amazon leadership principle is about, so now how will this principle show up in
your interview? Are they going to ask, “Are you obsessed with customers?” Well, they might ask this
exact question, but the questions aren't usually so straightforward. There are various ways you might
get asked about this principle.

• When you’re working with a large number of customers, it’s tricky to deliver excellent service to
all of them. How do you prioritize different customer needs?
• Tell me about a time you handled a difficult customer. What did you do? How did you manage
the customer? What was her/his reaction? What was the outcome?
• Most of us at one time have felt frustrated or impatient when dealing with customers. Can you
tell me about a time when you felt this way and how you dealt with it?
• When was a time you had to balance the needs of the customer with the needs of the
business? How did you approach the situation? What were your actions? What was the end
result?
• Give me an example of a change you implemented in your current team or organization to meet
the needs of your customers. What has been the result?
• Tell me about a time a customer wanted one thing but you felt they needed something else.
What was the situation and what was the action you took?
• When do you think it’s ok to push back or say no to an unreasonable customer request?
• Tell me about a time you used customer feedback to change the way you worked. Why did you
take the action you did? What was the outcome?
• Tell me about a time you had to compromise in order to satisfy a customer.
• How do you get to an understanding of what the customer’s needs are?
• How do you honestly pursue customer feedback, not just solicit them for compliments?
• How do you wow your customers?
• How do you develop client relationships?

These questions do not use the words "customer obsession" but they are asking about the idea
behind the principle, which is caring about customers and how you make customer experience a
priority.
How to answer interview questions about the
Amazon leadership principle “Have
Backbone; Disagree and Commit”
How Amazon explains the “Have Backbone” leadership principle:

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.

What does the “Have Backbone” leadership principle mean?

What does the phrase “to have backbone” mean? It’s an English idiom that means to have strength,
particularly in the face of adversity. If I “have backbone,” it means I will stand up for my ideas.

Do you fight for your ideas or do you give up on them if someone challenges you?

What if you fight for your idea (meaning you "disagree" with someone) and don't win - what do you do
then? Do you support the person who did win ("commit" to their idea) or do you try to work against
them because your idea didn't win?

If you haven’t read my post on the “Are Right, A Lot” Amazon leadership principle you should read that,
because that leadership principle includes how you manage conflict, which is related to the “Have
Backbone” leadership principle. Both leadership principles deal with interpersonal relationships, in
particular conflicts that arise between two people, or one person and a group.

How to answer the “Have Backbone” leadership principle interview questions

If you’re someone who thrives in competitive environments, be prepared to demonstrate that you can
manage conflict calmly and rationally, that you can convince others with data, not by yelling or being
unnecessarily aggressive.

Alternately, having to fight for your idea may make you uncomfortable. If this type of culture intimidates
you, give extra attention to your preparation for interview questions related to conflict. If you’re unable
to answer the questions directly, you may come across as someone who lacks the backbone to work in a
competitive environment. And Amazon really does have a culture of “sharp elbows” (aggression and
conflict) so if you want the job, you’ll need to hide your discomfort with conflict or at least show it won’t
stand in the way of your leadership.

Include these points in your answer

1. What was your idea?

First, summarize for the interviewer an idea that you had. Tell a story about how you were convinced
that your idea was the right way forward.
2. What was the point of conflict?

After you explain your idea, describe how and why someone didn’t agree with your idea. There must be
another person who didn’t agree with you, meaning the conflict needs to be with one specific person.
You can’t just say “the executives” didn’t agree with me. If you do that your answer won’t be specific
enough.

3. How did you convince the other person?

Then, discuss what tactic you used to win the other person over. The best way to impress your
interviewer is to describe how you used data in making your argument.

4. If you lost, commit

Finally, if you were unsuccessful in persuading others, explain that you “committed” regardless. It’s okay
if you lost the argument, but demonstrate that you were mature enough to support the decision that
the company chose. If you were successful in winning support for your idea, skip this step.

Interview Questions Related to the “Have Backbone” Leadership Principle

If your interviewer asks about this Amazon leadership principle, she or he might ask one of the following
questions:

• Describe a situation where other members of your team didn’t agree with your ideas. What did
you do?
• Tell me about a situation where you had a conflict with someone on your team. What was it
about? What did you do? How did they react? What was the outcome?
• Tell me about a time when you did not accept the status quo.
• Tell me about an unpopular decision of yours.
• Tell me about a time when you had to step up and disagree with a team member’s approach.
• If your direct manager was instructing you to do something you disagreed with, how would you
handle it?
• Describe a situation where you thought you were right, but your peers or supervisor did not
agree with you. How did you convince them that you were right? How did you react? What was
the outcome?

Those are the types of questions associated with this principle, and below are some from “Are Right.”
You can see how they are really the same questions. Let’s review some of the questions from the “Are
Right” principle:

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague. What is the process you used to work it
out?
• Tell me about a time that you strongly disagreed with your manager on something you deemed
to be very important to the business. What was it about and how did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time where someone openly challenged you. How did you handle this feedback?
• Give me an example of when you took an unpopular stance in a meeting with peers and your
leader and you were the outlier. What was it, why did you feel strongly about it, and what did
you do?
 • When do you decide to go along with the group decision even if you disagree? Give me an
example of a time you chose to acquiesce to the group even when you disagreed. Would you
make the same decision now?

We see that the “Are Right” and “Have Backbone” principles are related. Show your interviewer that
your approach to your work results in you being right a lot, and that you have the courage to fight for
your ideas.

How to answer interview questions about

Amazon leadership principle “Dive Deep”
How Amazon explains the “Dive Deep” leadership principle

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.

What does the “Dive Deep” Amazon leadership principle mean?

I think of this principle as being on a continuum with the “Bias for Action” leadership principle.

When you’re doing something, you first need to figure out what you’re doing (research and think, aka
diving deep) and then you need to do it (aka acting).

Many people will tend to get stuck on one end of the spectrum. Many people are great at performing
research but slow to act, and others will jump into action too quickly without making a plan.

In order to be good at something, you need to be good at both making a plan and acting on it. So in an
interview, you want to be able to answer the “Dive Deep” questions and also the “Bias for Action”
questions well, so that you paint a picture of yourself as someone who can make a plan and act on it (I
cover how to answer the “Bias to Action” questions in another article).

A good “Bias” story will have a research phase and a good “Dive Deep” story will end in action.

A good “Dive Deep” should preferably include data borne of research. Here is an article about types of
data you can include in these stories.

Telling “Dive Deep” stories like this might be easy for you if you’re a details person, as many people who
have technical jobs are. It may not be easy for you if you’re a generalist or a big picture person. I
personally tend to dislike talking about details, because I prefer talking about ideas or strategy. If I were
going into an interview, I would need to add details about how I followed through on ideas. If you’re a
big picture person, pay particular attention to your “Dive Deep” stories. On the other hand, if you’re
someone who routinely digs into details, these questions are unlikely to be difficult for you because
you’re always looking at data.
Interview Questions Related to the “Dive Deep” Leadership Principle

If your interviewer asks about this leadership principle, she or he might ask one of the following
questions:

• Give me an example of when you used data to make a decision/solve a problem.

• Tell me a time you gave insights beyond the data.
• Have you ever leveraged data to develop strategy?
• Tell me about a time you were trying to understand a problem on your team and you had to go
down several layers to figure it out. Who did you talk with and what info proved most valuable?
How did you use that info to help solve the problem?
• Tell me about a problem you had to solve that required in-depth thought and analysis. How did
you know you were focusing on the right things?
• Walk me through a big problem in your organization that you helped to solve. How did you
become aware of it? What info did you gather, what was missing, and how did you fill the gaps?
Did you do a post mortem analysis and what did you learn?
• Can you tell me about a specific metric you’ve used to identify a need for change in your
department? Did you create the metric or was it readily available? How did this and other info
influence the change?

How to answer interview questions about the

Amazon leadership principle“Earn Trust”
How Amazon explains the “Earn Trust” leadership principle

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.

What does the “Earn Trust” leadership principle mean?

The first sentence of the principle is straightforward and expected in any professional environment. The
interview is a great opportunity for you to “Earn Trust” by listening to your interviewer attentively and
answering questions candidly.

In the second sentence of the “Earn Trust” leadership principle, things get more interesting. At Amazon,
you’re expected to win over your colleagues (i.e., earn their trust) by being “vocally self-critical.” In
other words, you’re not afraid to point out your own faults to others. To win trust, you must show that
you understand best-in-class standards, and that you seek to meet or exceed them.

How do you “Earn Trust” at Amazon?

Leaders at Amazon embody this principle by:

• consistently making good decisions

• keeping commitments
• treating others and their ideas with respect
• adhering to high ethical standards
 • admitting failures
• listening, communicating, and delegating to help employees get the right things done

Leaders “Earn Trust” when they “take the hit.” When undesirable outcomes happen, we’re all quick to
point the finger. If your team members see that you’re willing to take the blame for the good of the
team, even if it’s not directly your fault, then they’ll start to let go and trust you. As leader of a team,
you need to accept the responsibility for both the good and the bad.

True collaboration is only possible in an atmosphere of trust. And that atmosphere must be set by a
leader who has earned his team members’ trust and who trusts them in return.

Interview Questions Related to the “Earn Trust” Leadership Principle

If your interviewer asks about this leadership principle, she or he might ask one of the following
questions:

• Tell me about a time you had to earn trust quickly.

• Building trust can be difficult to achieve at times. Tell me about how you’ve effectively built
trusting working relationships with others on your team.
• Describe a time when you significantly contributed to improving morale and productivity on
your team. What were the underlying problems and their causes? How did you prevent them
from negatively impacting the team in the future?
• Give an example of a time where you were not able to meet a commitment to a team member.
What was the commitment and what prevented you from meeting it? What was the outcome
and what did you learn from it?
• Describe a time when you needed the cooperation of a peer or peers who were resistant to
what you were trying to do. What did you do? What was the outcome?
• Tell me about a piece of direct feedback you recently gave to a colleague. How did he or she
respond?
• How do you like to receive feedback from coworkers or managers?
• Tell me about a time when someone (peer, teammate, supervisor) criticized you about a piece
of work/analysis that you delivered. How did you react? What was the outcome?
• Tell me about a time when you had to tell someone a harsh truth.
• Tell me about a time you had to communicate a big change in direction for which you
anticipated people would have a lot of concerns. How did you handle questions and/or
resistance? Were you able to get people comfortable with the change?
• How do you convince someone who is resistant to what you’re trying to do?

How to answer interview questions about

Amazon leadership principle “Bias for
Action”
How Amazon explains the “Bias for Action” leadership principle

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

What does “bias for action” mean?

Having a bias for action means you’re not afraid to make decisions and then act on them, even when
(especially when) you face uncertainty. Maybe you’ve worked with someone or a team who didn’t have
a bias for action. In the face of uncertainty, these individuals freeze and can’t make a decision. They’re
afraid of getting it wrong and being held accountable for making a poor decision.

This sort of “analysis paralysis” isn’t tolerated at Amazon. They want leaders who are willing to put
themselves out there and take a risk. These leaders are no different than anyone else in their fear of
failure. What makes them stand out is that they accept risk and make calculated decisions that unblock
them and the people they work with.

Yes, Amazon wants you to look at data and make sense of it and use it to form your plan, but they don’t
want you to get stuck looking at the data. They want you to move past research and analysis into action.

Characteristics of someone having a “Bias for Action”

• When faced with a tough decision that will help you and your team move forward, you don’t
avoid that decision. You’re not afraid to step up and make the call.
• You encourage this same behavior in your direct reports. You let them know you’ll stand behind
them if they take a risk that doesn’t work out.
• If you’re missing some key piece of information, you try to get it as quickly as possible. If you
can’t, you’re not afraid to move ahead without it.
• You foster an environment of action bias by responding promptly to colleagues looking for
information, and always deliver on your promises.
• You roll up your sleeves and remove obstacles, even when it’s “not your job.”
• Still stuck? You ask for help. You don’t let yourself or your team be stuck for days at a time.

Interview questions related to the Amazon “Bias for Action” leadership principle

If your interviewer asks about this leadership principle, she or he might ask one of the following
questions:

• Tell me about a time you took a risk. What kind of risk was it?
• Give me an example of a calculated risk that you have taken where speed was critical. What was
the situation and how did you handle it? What steps did you take to mitigate the risk? What was
the outcome?
• Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information. How did you
make it and what was the outcome?
• Describe a time you had to make an important decision on the spot to close a sale.
• Describe a situation where you made an important business decision without consulting your
manager. What was the situation and how did it turn out?
• Tell me about a time when you had to analyze facts quickly, define key issues, and respond
immediately to a situation. What was the outcome?
 • Tell me about a time when you have worked against tight deadlines and didn't have the time to
consider all options before making a decision. How much time did you have? What approach did
you take?
• Give an example of when you had to make an important decision and had to decide between
moving forward or gathering more information. What did you do? What information is
necessary for you to have before acting?
• Describe a time when you saw some problem and took the initiative to correct it rather than
waiting for someone else to do it.
• Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn’t very responsive.
What did you do?
• Tell me about a time where you felt your team was not moving to action quickly enough. What
did you do? (Manager)
• Tell me about a time when you were able to remove a serious roadblock/barrier preventing your
team from making progress? How were you able to remove the barrier? What was the
outcome? (Manager)

How to answer interview questions about

Amazon leadership principle "Insist on the
Highest Standards"
Amazon interviews

The seventh Amazon Leadership Principle is “Insist on the Highest Standards.” If you’re preparing for an
interview at Amazon, you should ask yourself what Amazon means by “highest standards” and how this
leadership principle applies to your role at the company.

If you don’t know about the Amazon leadership principles, first read this article about interviewing at
Amazon.

How Amazon explains the “Highest Standards” leadership principle

Leaders have relentlessly high standards – many people may think these standards are unreasonably
high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and driving 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.

What does the “Highest Standards” leadership principle mean?

Having high standards means you make exceptionally high demands of yourself and the products and
services you work on. At Amazon, standards are set through service level agreements (SLAs). An SLA is a
set of agreed upon standards at which any service or product will perform. In an Amazon SLA, even the
worst outcome will outpace industry standards.

Nearly everything at Amazon has an SLA, and as such, nearly everything is measured to ensure the SLA
standards are met. In your current job, have you taken the time to instrument your processes and
services? Have you set clear expectations of success that you can measure via that instrumentation? If
so, in your interview, be ready to tell your story.
If you want to show your interviewer that you insist on the highest standards, you should demonstrate
that you:

• Set SLAs for everything, and don’t take shortcuts on instrumentation.

• Continually self-critique your work to make sure the quality is the best it can be.
• Accept and seek coaching and feedback from your manager and others about improving the
quality of your work.
• Demand that your team delivers high-quality products, services, and solutions.
• Coach employees about setting their own high standards and exceeding customer expectations.

Interview questions related to “Highest Standards”

If your interviewer asks about this leadership principle, she or he might ask one of the following
questions:

• Tell me about a time when you’ve been unsatisfied with the status quo. What did you do to
change it? Were you successful?
• Tell me about a time you wouldn’t compromise on achieving a great outcome when others felt
something was already good enough. What was the situation?
• What measures have you personally put in place to ensure performance improvement targets
and standards are achieved?
• Describe the most significant, continuous improvement project that you’ve led. What was the
catalyst for this change and how did you go about it?
• Give me an example of a goal you’ve had where you wish you had done better. What was the
goal and how could you have improved on it?
• Tell me about a time when you worked to improve the quality of a product / service / solution
that was already getting good customer feedback? Why did you think it needed more
improvement?

Give an example where you refused to compromise your standards around quality/customer service,
etc. Why did you feel so strongly about the situation? What were the consequences? The result?

How to answer interview questions about the

Amazon leadership principle "Invent and
Simplify"
How Amazon explains the “Invent and Simplify” leadership principle

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.

What does “invent and simplify” mean exactly?

The “invent” part of this leadership principle is that Amazon frequently does new things, whether “new”
means new scale, new products, new platforms, or something else new.

The “simplify” part of this leadership principle is the idea that everyone, no matter what type of job they
have, has the opportunity to simplify something, usually a process. Making something simpler is
desirable because simpler usually equals greater efficiency, i.e., quicker or cheaper, and what company
wouldn’t like that?

My clients sometimes worry that, if they’re not inventing new products or new technologies as part of
their job, they won’t be able to answer questions about the Invent and Simplify principle. But that’s not
true. You definitely don’t have to be “inventing” things to do well on this principle. Anyone in any type
of role can have an impact on a process.

So besides wanting to know if you’ve invented or simplified, what is your interviewer looking for when
she asks you to speak to this principle?

Amazon wants people who are curious and well informed and can be creative in thinking of solutions.
They want people who can easily generate multiple ideas for problem solving. They want people who
know how to find answers by looking into how other departments or other industries do things. Above
all, they want people who will try to improve things, not just accept the status quo blindly.

Top five Amazon interview questions for “Invent and Simplify”

There are different questions your interviewer can use to ask about your “invent and simplify” skills.
Based on my experience with clients, here are the top five questions:

• Tell me about a time when you invented something.

• What improvements have you made at your current company?
• Tell me about a time when you gave a simple solution to a complex problem.
• Tell me about a time you had to think outside the box (think creatively) to close a sale or sell
your product.
• What is the most innovative project you’ve worked on?

How to answer interview questions about the

Amazon leadership principle “Are Right, A
Lot”
How Amazon describes the “Are Right, A Lot” principle

Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives
and work to disconfirm their beliefs.

What does “Are Right, A Lot” mean exactly?

Here’s an excerpt of The Amazon Way by John Rossman, a book you should read if you want to know
more about Amazon. He can explain the thinking behind this principle better than I can. This should help
you understand what the principle means:

Leaders at Amazon are right—not always, but a lot. They have strong business judgment, and they
spread that strong judgment to others through the clarity with which they define their goals and the
metrics they use to measure success.

There is a high degree of tolerance for failure at Amazon. But Jeff Bezos cannot tolerate someone making
the same mistake over and over. Therefore, leaders at Amazon are expected to be right far more often
than they are wrong. And when they are wrong—which of course will happen when a company
continually pushes the envelope—they are expected to learn from their mistakes, develop specific
insights into the reasons for those mistakes, and share those insights with the rest of the company.

That should have helped a little, but I know the principle still isn’t that easy to understand. I think if you
keep reading the meaning will become clearer.

Three common interview questions for “Are Right, A Lot” and how to answer them

I think of the principle as being about judgement, but “judgement” is a big concept. Because it’s such a
big concept, it’s hard to pin down. How do you know if someone has good judgement? There are many
behaviors someone might display that show their judgement or lack of judgement. Because there are so
many layers to the judgement idea and so many behaviors one might display that show judgement,
there is no one single typical question for this principle.

Let’s look at some ways in which an interviewer might ask about this principle. The first way is what I call
the mistake/failure questions. These are popular questions.

How to answer interview questions about the

Amazon leadership principle "Think Big"
What does the “Think Big” leadership principle mean?

The term “to think big” means to be ambitious or to set no limits on your thinking and goals. Other
expressions you might have heard that mean the same thing are “to go large” or “to reach for the stars.”

If you think big you will:

 • See problems as challenges and opportunities
• Be positive
• Think of things you can do, not things you can’t
• Plan what is possible, not worry about what is impossible
• Be fearless
• Be creative
• Be able to dream and visualize what you want

Thinking big means:

• Taking a radical approach and risks when necessary, always questioning traditional assumptions
in pursuit of the best idea.
• Creating a gutsy mission that employees can be inspired by and get behind. Providing direction
for how to get there and explaining how everything fits into the long-term plan.
• Continually communicating the big picture and mission to the team in a manner that gets
employees excited.
• Actively exploring new ideas from team members, encouraging risk taking when appropriate.

Interview Questions Related to the “Think Big” Leadership Principle

If your interviewer asks about this Amazon leadership principle, she or he might ask one of the following
questions:

• Tell me about a time you took a calculated risk in order to achieve a professional goal. What
were the tradeoffs? What was the outcome?
• Tell me about a time you took a big risk and it failed. What did you learn? What would you do
differently?
• Tell me about a time you went way beyond the scope of the project and delivered.
• Tell me about your proudest professional achievement.
• Give me an example of a radical approach to a problem you proposed. What was the problem
and why did you feel it required a completely different way of thinking about it? Was your
approach successful?
• How do you drive adoption for your vision/ideas? How do you know how well your idea or vision
has been adopted by other teams or partners? Give a specific example highlighting one of your
ideas.
• Tell me about time you were working on an initiative or goal and saw an opportunity to do
something much bigger than the initial focus.
• Tell me about a time you looked at a key process that was working well and questioned whether
it was still the right one. What assumptions were you questioning and why? Did you end up
making a change to the process?

How to answer interview questions about the

Amazon leadership principle "Hire and
develop"
How Amazon explains the “Hire and Develop” leadership principle

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.

What does the “Hire and develop the best” leadership principle mean?

It means that hiring the right people, ones who can do the job exceptionally well but who’re also
interested in growing, and then helping them learn, is a huge aspect of a managerial or leadership role
at Amazon.

Interview questions related to “Hire and develop”

If your interviewer asks about this leadership principle, he or she might ask one of the following
questions:

• What is your management style?

• How do you approach managing your reports?
• What is your experience with hiring people?
• How do you ensure you hire the best people?
• Give me an example of one of the best hires of your career. How did this person grow
throughout their career? What did you identify during the hiring process that drove her success?
• How do you help your employees grow?
• Tell me how you help your team members develop their careers. Can you give me two to three
examples of a specific person in whom you invested and how you helped them develop their
careers, including one who wasn’t being successful but in whom you saw potential and chose to
invest?
• Give me an example of a time you provided feedback to develop and leverage the strengths of
someone on your team. Were you able to positively impact that person’s performance? What
were your most effective methods?
• How do you manage your top performers differently?
• Give me an example of someone who was promoted one or two levels up in the organization,
not just because they were a star who would naturally rise, but due to your coaching efforts.
• What is the composition of your current team, and how is your team organized?
• How have you been successful at empowering either a person or a group to accomplish a task.
• Tell me about a time when you were able to remove a serious roadblock preventing your team
from making progress.