Leadership Principles
All candidates are evaluated based on our Leadership Principles. The best way to prepare for your
interview is to consider how you’ve applied the Leadership Principles in your previous professional
experience.
We recommend having 2-3 examples prepared for each leadership principle and to make sure you
are not repeating the same examples. i.e. make sure you talk about a different situation, example,
project for each answer.
The Leadership Principles highlighted with a yellow “*” are really key to the position you are
applying for, so we would recommend building super strong answers for these LPs first.
This Interview preparation page is has lots of information on what to expect for your AWS/Amazon
interview: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/landing_pages/in-person-interview
Customer Obsession *
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.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Ownership *
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".
Answer 1
Answer 2
Invent and Simplify
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.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Are right, A Lot
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse
perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Learn and Be Curious *
Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about
new possibilities and act to explore them.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Hire and Develop the Best
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. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for
development like Career Choice.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Insist on the Highest Standards *
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.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Think Big
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.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Bias for Action *
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive
study. We value calculated risk taking.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Frugality
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention.
There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size or fixed expense.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Earn Trust *
Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-
critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their
team’s body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the
best.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Dive Deep
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.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
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.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Deliver Results *
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.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Strive to be Earth's Best Employer
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? Leaders have a vision for and commitment to their
employees' personal success, whether that be at Amazon or elsewhere.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
We started in a garage, but we're not there anymore. We are big, we impact the world, and we
are 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. We
must begin each day with a determination to make better, do better, and be better for our
customers, our employees, our partners, and the world at large. And we must end every day
knowing we can do even more tomorrow. Leaders create more than they consume and always
leave things better than how they found them.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Example of a time where something failed/didn’t go to plan.
i.e. a time where a project failed, you or a team didn’t meet a deadline/target etc.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Test your STAR Method Before your AWS Interview
How to test your STAR method:
1. Select a Leadership Principle
2. Think of a typical question you feel an interviewer might ask you about relating to
this Leadership Principle
3. Using your mobile phone or laptop record yourself talking through your answer
4. Play back your answer and use the template below to capture what parts of the start
technique you have satisfied
5. Evaluate the template and see
a. If you have been concise
b. Have outline enough actions (A) taken. Are these actions answered as “I” or
“we”
c. Do your result hold tangible evidence (i.e. metrics and data to highlight the
impact the actions/project have made)
6. Fill in any gaps you have identified on the template
7. Practice your answer again with the STAR technique full satisfied
S T A R
(Situation) (Task) (Action) (Result)
This should be brief This section should This section should Should include the impact of
and to the point to fully explain the key contain a minimum of the project/improvement/tasks
give an overview of tasks you undertook 5-6 points of each had. Make sure to focus in on
the issue you were as an individual actions you undertook key metric and data to highlight
solving, project you contributor. How you throughout the these factors.
were undertaking etc.) narrowed them process and should
down, why you outline your individual
decided to undertake contribution. (I)
them etc.
