“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.”
— Amazon Leadership Principles
Amazon uses a list of Leadership Principles to make decisions in business and help lead them from the largest decisions down to the almost menial daily tasks. We believe we can use the same concepts to drive us forward as a club in the decisions we make. To this end, we have created our own list of Principles that we can reference. Some are taken from Amazon’s list of Principles and some are unique to our needs.
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 club, beyond themselves or their own team. They never say “that’s not my job.”
Train and Develop the Best People
Recognizing talent and enthusiasm and cultivating it is the way for leaders to ensure the best decisions get carried forward. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others.
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 drive their teams to deliver high quality results. Leaders ensure that problems do not roll downhill and that problems are fixed in a way so they stay fixed.
Bais For Action
Taking the first step is often the hardest. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking and believe it can help others get involved.
Earn Trust
Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe they or their team are infallible. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best examples.
Have Backbone; Disagree, then 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.
Embrace Change with Innovation
Change is a constant, and fighting it will always end in a loss. Embracing change is the path to new ideas and can be the best way to improve. We believe these are the best principles for us, but only until you make them better.