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.
1. Who was your most difficult customer?
2. Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a
client’s expectation. What happened, and how did you
attempt to rectify the situation?
3. When you’re working with a large number of customers,
it’s tricky to deliver excellent service to them all. How do
you go about prioritizing your customers’ needs?
4. Tell the story of the last time you had to apologize to
someone.
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.
1. Tell me about a time when you had to leave a task
unfinished.
2. Tell me about a time when you had to work on a
project with unclear responsibilities.
3. Give me an example of when you took a risk and it
failed.
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.
1. Tell me about a time when you gave a simple solution
to a complex problem.
2. Tell me about a time when you created a new way of
doing something that gave a company a competitive
advantage.
3. Tell me about an out of the box idea you had and what
was its impact?
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.
1. Tell me about a time when you were wrong.
2. Tell me about a time when you had to work with
incomplete data or information.
3. Tell me about a time when you were proposing a solution
that other doubted that turned out in your favor.
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.
1. Tell me about a time when you couldn’t meet your own
expectations on a project.
2. Tell me about a time when a team member didn’t meet
your expectations on a project.
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.
1. Tell me about a time when you influenced a change by
only asking questions.
2. Tell me about a time when you solved a problem
through just superior knowledge or observation.
AMAZON LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES
BEHAVIOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How to Use – Ask a one or two questions from 3 to 5 of the most appropriate leadership principles per interview.
