[June 15, 2014] I don’t remember when I bought my first book from Amazon.com but it was more than 10 years ago. At the time I was having a hard time finding good books on military leadership. I paid both retail and shipping costs but I had the book within a week. This was something that struck me as a good thing – convenient and fast. The core values of Amazon.com are based on this customer satisfaction.
Based in Seattle, the company has grown from a bookseller to selling many products such as music CDs, software, office products, electronics, toys, games, cookware, hardware, food, and health products. The company has also grown at a tremendous rate with revenue rising from about $150 million in 1997 to $75 billion in 2013. Clearly, Amazon.com has successful leadership and a business model that works.
Amazon.com has the ability to offer shopping convenience, ease of purchase, speed, decision-enabling information, a wide selection, discounted pricing, and reliability of order fulfillment. These are tied directly to the company’s logistical competencies.
Whether you are an individual contributor or the manager of a large team, you are an Amazon leader. These are our leadership principles and every Amazonian is guided by these principles. Their “principles” are also their core values:
- Customer Obsession
- Ownership
- Invent and Simplify
- Are Right, A Lot
- Hire and Develop the Best
- Insist on the Highest Standards
- Think Big
- Bias for Action
- Frugality
- Vocally Self Critical
- Earn Trust of Others
- Dive Deep
- Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
- Deliver Results
Their mission statement1,2 is also their vision. Our vision is to be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
Amazon.com is successful because of their leadership and ensuring their core values are part of their make-up from day one.
Oh yes, the book … John Adams by David McCullough published in hardback by Simon & Schuster, New York, NY, © 2001. Cost me $35.00 plus shipping. I recommend it in the hardback edition.
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[2] http://www.specimentemplates.org/mission-statements/amazon-vision-statement.htm
Ghanta