The 14 Amazing Leadership Principles of Amazon [Infographic]

In September 2018, Amazon got global recognition for being the first brand to be valued at over 1 trillion dollars. Within a time frame of about two decades, Amazon grew from being a bookseller, to a logistics, cloud computing and E-commerce giant. Surely the Amazon must be doing something different that has enabled them amass such brand value in a relatively short period. 

Interestingly, it turns out that Amazon has 14 leadership principles for its employees, which are designed to drive innovative thinking and quick action. These principles written by Founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, have guided and shaped the brand’s decisions and its cutting-edge culture.

“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”

– Amazon.jobs

These principles are largely attributed as the driving force behind Amazon’s success, and they are so important to Amazon that every employee is expected to adhere to them, and all prospective employees (from experienced vice presidents to brand new college graduates) are tested on their understanding of these principles. 

This Infographic below highlights all 14 leadership principles that drive the Amazon culture

The 14 Leadership Principles of Amazon

Dan Croitor does a great job of summarizing these Leadership principles in this 2 minute video. 

A condensed version of the 14 Leadership principles by Dan Croitor

These principles are at the core of everything Amazon does and they have helped the brand create a positive culture where smart, passionate people can come together to create innovative products (and services) that meet customers’ needs and (surpasses) expectations. 

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Every organization cannot be Amazon, and might not be able to follow all 14 principles. I encourage business leaders and professionals reading this to take the time to review your own set of values and principles and see how they compare to Amazon’s.

If you don’t have any principles or core values driving the culture within your organization, now is the next best time to develop them.


Kelechi Okeke