Reclaim leadership by prioritizing big strategic bets
There is a natural “gravity” in every organization that pulls leaders away from significant, complex decisions toward smaller, more manageable ones. As companies scale, they often stop making “big bets” and start optimizing for “minor wins.” Why? Because making a hundred small decisions is cognitively easier and emotionally safer than making one large, high-stakes choice. […]
by Bill Carr
From ironing shirts to earning sales: a lesson in ownership
I am preparing for a keynote speech tomorrow and found myself reflecting on my early career while ironing my shirt in my hotel room. This moment took me back to the 80s and early 90s when, like many, I wore a suit and tie to work every day. Back then, I couldn’t afford to dry […]
by Bill Carr
Disagree and commit: when to speak up and support decisions
“Disagree and commit” is Amazon’s most misunderstood and misused Leadership Principle, both within and outside the company. Let’s break this down phrase by phrase. First, here is the complete description of the principle: “Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or […]
by Bill Carr
Ten meeting behaviors of great executives at Amazon
I spent 15 years at Amazon, including countless hours in meetings with some of the most talented executives on the planet, like Jeff Bezos, Andy Jassy, Jeff Wilke, Steve Kessel, and more. Here are 10 behaviors that great execs display in meetings. 1. They study, read, and absorb the material presented in the meeting with […]
by Bill Carr
Why retail is detail: lessons in operational rigor at Amazon
The phrase “Retail is detail” is often attributed to James McGinnis, a former Macy’s executive. It highlights how small factors can significantly influence customer experience and retail success, emphasizing the importance of attention to detail in retail management. In 1999, shortly after I joined Amazon, we had a guest speaker who was a seasoned retail […]
by Bill Carr
Leading a team event in Portugal this May: what to expect
Happy to share that Colin and I will be leading this event in Portugal this May. Should be a great experience for all involved.
by Bill Carr
How Amazon sets clear, actionable goals with no hierarchy
Amazon does not use OKRs or KPIs. Instead, Amazon uses a simple, flat list of goals with no hierarchy. Each goal has a single owner and objective pass/fail criteria. Here is how this approach works so well for Amazon: Amazon’s goal-setting process is simple. Every year, through the OP-1 planning cycle, teams generate a list […]
by Bill Carr
How Amazon’s PR/FAQ process defines what not to build
To quote the famous economist Michael Porter, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” This idea was echoed by Steve Jobs, who famously said, “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” At Amazon, the majority of new ideas we had never became products. We would work […]
by Bill Carr
Seven tips for writing effective Amazon-style business narratives
My co-author, Colin Bryar, and I wrote, read, and reviewed thousands of business narrative documents during our combined 27 years at Amazon. Based on our experience, here are tips to follow and common pitfalls to avoid. 1. Write for a generalist executive audience. Picture your reader as intelligent but unfamiliar with the specifics of your […]
by Bill Carr
Why Amazon’s Working Backwards process demands upfront effort
Someone once asked Jeff Bezos, “Is the Working Backwards process optional? It sounds great, but it seems like a lot of work.” His answer was,” Done correctly, it is a huge amount of work. But it saves you even more work later. It isn’t designed to be easy; it’s designed to save huge amounts of […]
by Bill Carr