AWS leadership: The secret to building world-class teams

This week marks my second year at Amazon Web Services (AWS).
 
When I started, I had no idea what to expect beyond Amazon’s reputation as a global cloud leader, a conglomerate with complex systems and processes. I expected a great workplace with interesting projects and very smart people. I expected some tiered management with some unavoidable bureaucracy for a company of this size and scale. What I got was so much more. I’ve uncovered a secret at Amazon that few people on the outside know and understand: our Leadership Principles are so much more than a corporate mission statement; they truly guide the success and innovation in everything we do.
 
It all started when I took the role at AWS as general manager for global demand & operations. I worked with a small team of dedicated leaders who set their sights on specific targets and goals. Together we leveraged Amazon’s extensive processes and systems and reverse-engineered—known as “working backwards” in Amazon parlance—the success we saw around us to merge our products and teams. In a short period, we’ve grown significantly, have gone from national to international, and have turned five languages into 36. Looking back, it’s been an incredible journey getting from where we started to where we are today.
 
When I began my job, I learned about Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles. I read through them of course, but living them was another matter entirely. All of these Leadership Principles can be traced back to Amazon’s greatest asset: its people are the margin of difference. While building teams at AWS, I’ve learned to give “bar-raising” feedback, manage mechanisms, leverage one- and two-way doors—which, at Amazon, means we carefully consider decisions that are high risk vs. low risk, and permanent vs. reversible—as well as make good hiring decisions.

I’ve now interviewed more than 50 candidates, which has taught me the importance of creating and maintaining a “raising the bar” culture. In our customer-obsessed environment, teammates need to work autonomously and get up to speed quickly, and we provide support to help them thrive in this environment. We have to quickly uncover a person’s ability to adapt and challenge the people around them. Most importantly, continuing to build each other up is the key to building something greater.
 
An important Leadership Principle that has defined my work is Ownership. When something is wrong or broken, leaders have to own the process of reconnecting with their team, gathering facts to solve problems, and creating experiences together. Everyone at every level has the opportunity to be an owner. Because of this, we’re more likely to weigh long-term outcomes against short-term results.
 
While building for the future, we have to constantly innovate. We need to continue fostering a culture that welcomes new ideas. Amazon teaches us to keep learning and to stay curious. Leaders never stop learning—we’re always analyzing where we are and where we can go, while working to maintain a safe environment for questions and collaboration. We’re pushed to think big, in bold new ways. We’re inspired to take big steps. We build better tools to engage our customers through data-driven change.

"It’s OK to be a human leader in the digital virtual workplace. Being a human leader means leading with the belief that work performance and empathy go hand in hand. During the pandemic, countless families dealt with the challenges of working virtually, taking care of sick family members, unexpected job losses, and school and childcare needs. As a human leader, I took these unprecedented challenges in stride, recognizing all of us were facing unique and complex situations. At AWS, I lead my teams with flexibility— whether that be flexible deadlines for deliverables or offering the ability to work non-traditional hours. As a leader, it is my responsibility to ensure my employees thrive."

Daryl Hammett, general manager of global demand & operations at AWS.

It’s OK to be a human leader in the digital virtual workplace. Being a human leader means leading with the belief that work performance and empathy go hand in hand. During the pandemic, countless families dealt with the challenges of working virtually, taking care of sick family members, unexpected job losses, and school and childcare needs. As a human leader, I took these unprecedented challenges in stride, recognizing all of us were facing unique and complex situations. At AWS, I lead my teams with flexibility— whether that be flexible deadlines for deliverables or offering the ability to work non-traditional hours. As a leader, it is my responsibility to ensure my employees thrive.

At Amazon, I am encouraged to try new things until I see what works best for our teams. By leading with empathy and example, I am able to build sustainable and authentic relationships with my teammates, making us more resilient to challenges that arise. Leading with a human-first approach, we build more trust across our team, which ultimately creates an environment open to creative ideas and problem-solving  to meet our customers’ needs. Fostering an environment where we can be creative and free to challenge each other, with no fear of judgment, is crucial.

At Amazon, our culture is rooted in our builder mentality. Learning and development are critical, and authentic builders are curious and encouraged to experiment. Through this, I feel empowered to try different techniques for challenging my team to deliver the best results for our customers.

Another way we foster growth at AWS is through career mobility and upskilling, which have been key components of our success. Career mobility encourages our employees to follow their passion and become more engaged leaders. It also encourages them to seek the advice and viewpoints of a diverse range of people and listen to their thoughts around problems, goals, and challenges they are facing. This enables leaders to become more in touch and connected to their teams. I also permit people to challenge me, as I’m looking to co-create a solution and grow together.
 
However inspiring Amazon’s Leadership Principles are, our best-kept secret is a simple recipe that has allowed us to become one of the most forward-thinking companies in the world. We hire and retain the best talent, and we strive to be the world’s best employer. At Amazon, I’m fortunate to work with some of the brightest people on the planet. In this environment, these motivated, intelligent, and innovative teammates challenge me to be better and think differently every day. How can we become more inclusive? How can we bring new skills and viewpoints to the table? How do we empower people with different life paths and skill sets to do their jobs best?
 
Together we’re able to co-create new solutions and push boundaries, obsessing over our customers to deliver the best products possible. Having learned Amazon’s secret to success, I hope that other teams can adopt these principles and I look forward to building a bright future for 2023 onward.

We’re always glad to connect with talented people. Tell us a bit about what you want to do and we’ll keep you posted on relevant roles and what we’re building at AWS.