Amazon Leadership Principles Explained (Interview Guide + Examples)
Understand Amazon Leadership Principles and how they are used in behavioral interviews. Learn what interviewers look for, common red flags, and how to prepare.
Amazon Leadership Principles Explained (Interview Guide + Examples)
Amazon interviews are not just about skills. They are designed to test how you think, decide, and act through the lens of Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
This page defines the evaluation framework behind Amazon interviews.
All Amazon behavioral questions and mock interviews are derived from these leadership principles.
If you don’t understand these principles deeply, it’s very hard to pass the behavioral interview — even with strong experience.
This guide explains:
- What Amazon Leadership Principles are
- How Amazon uses them in interviews
- How they show up in real interview questions
- How to prepare answers the right way
What Are Amazon Leadership Principles?
Amazon Leadership Principles (LPs) are a set of values that guide decision-making at Amazon.
Unlike many companies, Amazon uses these principles directly in interviews. Almost every behavioral question maps to one or more LPs.
Interviewers are trained to evaluate:
- Whether your past actions align with these principles
- How consistently you demonstrate them
- Whether you raise the bar compared to existing team members
How Amazon Uses Leadership Principles in Interviews
At Amazon, leadership principles are not abstract values.
They are used as a structured evaluation rubric during behavioral interviews.
- Each interviewer is assigned specific LPs to assess
- Interviewers look for evidence of past behavior, not opinions
- STAR framework is used to evaluate candidates consistently
Interviewers expect stories, not summaries. Answers are evaluated against LPs, not just results.
Why Leadership Principles Matter So Much in Interviews
At Amazon:
- Resumes get you interviews
- Leadership Principles decide offers
During interviews:
- Each interviewer focuses on specific LPs
- They look for evidence, not opinions
- Vague answers are a common rejection reason
That’s why candidates often feel:
“I answered well, but still didn’t pass.”
Most of the time, the issue is LP alignment, not experience level.
The 16 Amazon Leadership Principles (Interview-Focused)
Below is an interview-oriented explanation of each principle.
1. Customer Obsession
What it means:
Start with the customer and work backwards.
Interviewers look for:
- Trade-offs made for long-term customer value
- Decisions that protected user trust
Red flags:
- Making decisions for convenience over customer benefit
- Giving opinions instead of concrete actions
2. Ownership
What it means:
Think long-term and act on behalf of the entire company.
Interviewers look for:
- Taking responsibility beyond your role
- Fixing problems without being asked
Red flags:
- Blaming others for issues
- Ignoring tasks outside your job description
3. Invent and Simplify
What it means:
Create better, simpler solutions.
Interviewers look for:
- Removing complexity
- Challenging existing processes
Red flags:
- Following processes blindly
- Avoiding improvement opportunities
4. Are Right, A Lot
What it means:
Good judgment backed by data and learning.
Interviewers look for:
- Decision-making under uncertainty
- Willingness to admit mistakes
Red flags:
- Ignoring data
- Overconfidence without evidence
5. Learn and Be Curious
What it means:
Never stop learning.
Interviewers look for:
- Self-driven skill growth
- Learning from failure
Red flags:
- Not seeking feedback
- Stagnation in skills
6. Hire and Develop the Best
What it means:
Raise the performance bar.
Interviewers look for:
- Mentoring others
- Improving team quality
Red flags:
- Failing to onboard or guide peers
- Ignoring team growth
7. Insist on the Highest Standards
What it means:
High standards are non-negotiable.
Interviewers look for:
- Catching issues others missed
- Refusing to ship poor-quality work
Red flags:
- Accepting mediocrity
- Ignoring quality issues
8. Think Big
What it means:
Bold direction and long-term thinking.
Interviewers look for:
- Vision beyond immediate tasks
- Scalable solutions
Red flags:
- Short-term thinking
- Avoiding strategic decisions
9. Bias for Action
What it means:
Speed matters.
Interviewers look for:
- Acting with limited data
- Calculated risk-taking
Red flags:
- Paralysis by analysis
- Avoiding ownership of decisions
10. Frugality
What it means:
Do more with less.
Interviewers look for:
- Resourceful decisions
- Avoiding unnecessary spending
Red flags:
- Wasteful resource use
- Overcomplicating solutions
11. Earn Trust
What it means:
Build trust through honesty and reliability.
Interviewers look for:
- Handling conflict
- Transparent communication
Red flags:
- Miscommunication
- Avoiding difficult conversations
12. Dive Deep
What it means:
Stay connected to details.
Interviewers look for:
- Using data to debug problems
- Challenging assumptions
Red flags:
- Ignoring data
- Surface-level analysis
13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
What it means:
Speak up, then commit.
Interviewers look for:
- Constructive disagreement
- Supporting final decisions
Red flags:
- Blindly agreeing
- Refusing to follow decisions after discussion
14. Deliver Results
What it means:
Focus on outcomes.
Interviewers look for:
- Overcoming obstacles
- Measurable impact
Red flags:
- Not meeting commitments
- Avoiding responsibility for results
15. Strive to Be Earth’s Best Employer
What it means:
Create a safe, inclusive workplace.
Interviewers look for:
- Team well-being
- Psychological safety
Red flags:
- Ignoring team dynamics
- Neglecting inclusivity
16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
What it means:
Consider broader impact.
Interviewers look for:
- Ethical decision-making
- Long-term consequences
Red flags:
- Decisions benefiting self over company
- Ignoring societal impact
How to Prepare Leadership Principle Answers
Don’t memorize definitions. Instead:
- Map past experiences → LPs
- Prepare 2–3 stories per core LP
- Use the STAR framework
- Emphasize decisions and actions, not just outcomes
For structured practice, consider an Amazon-style mock interview to test whether your answers reflect the principles.
Internal links for cluster SEO:
- Learn more about Amazon Behavioral Interview Questions
- See the STAR Method Guide
- Try our Amazon Mock Interview AI for practice
Final Takeaway
Amazon Leadership Principles are not theory.
They are the evaluation framework behind every interview.
Understanding them clearly is the difference between:
- “Good answers”
- Offer-worthy answers
