This is Kristen O'Brien, Managing Editor at NFX, and this is the founder list. Audible versions of essays from technology's most important leaders selected by the founder community. Amazon has and operates by its own set of leadership principles. A set of principles referred to during company decision making, problem solving, simple brainstorming, and even hiring Here are the 14 leadership principles Amazon workers refer to on a daily basis, read by NFX.
We use our leadership principles every day, whether we're discussing ideas for new projects or deciding on the best approach to solving a problem, It is just one of the things that makes Amazon peculiar. 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. 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. 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, 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. Learn and be curious. Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They're curious about new possibilities and act to explore them. 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, insist on the highest standards. Leaders have relentlessly high standards. Many people think these standards are unreasonably high.
Leaders are continuously 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 they stay fixed. 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. Bias for action. Speed matters in business.
Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking. Frugality, 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. Earn trust. Leaders listen attentively Pete 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. 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. 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 and 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.
For more audio essays from the people who've built companies like Instacart, Facebook, Trello, HubSpot, and Dropbox, visit the founder list at nfx.com Omri subscribe to the nfx podcast at podcast.nfx.com Omri wherever you get your podcast. I'm Kristen O'Brien, and this is the founder list.