Amazon Leadership Principles
Amazon's 16 core values used as a scoring rubric in every interview round.
Definition
Amazon's Leadership Principles (LPs) are 16 core values — including Customer Obsession, Ownership, and Bias for Action — that Amazon uses as the primary evaluation framework in every interview. Every behavioral question maps to one or more LPs, and interviewers score answers against them on a structured rubric. Amazon added two new principles in 2021 (Strive to be Earth's Best Employer; Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility), bringing the total from 14 to 16. You can review all 16 on Amazon's official Leadership Principles page.
Why It Matters in Interviews
Amazon is one of the largest employers of tech talent globally, with over 1.5 million employees as of 2024. Every single hire — from warehouse associate to VP — is evaluated against LPs. For senior and corporate roles, your behavioral LP score is often weighted equally to or more than your technical score. Knowing which LP each question targets and explicitly demonstrating that LP can significantly improve your hiring outcome.
How to Use It
Before your Amazon interview, memorize all 16 LPs and their definitions. Then, map each of your STAR stories to 2–3 LPs. In your answers, weave in LP language naturally ("This speaks to Ownership—I chose not to escalate and instead…"). Related reading: Behavioral Interviewing and Culture Fit Interviews.
Quick Tips
- The most commonly tested LPs are: Customer Obsession, Ownership, Dive Deep, and Deliver Results.
- Interviewers are literally taking notes on which LPs you hit — make it easy for them.
- "Think Big" is often the hardest LP to demonstrate — prepare a story with measurable 10x-scale ambition.
- The two newest LPs (Strive to be Earth's Best Employer & Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility) are increasingly tested for senior roles.
FAQ
Do I need to memorize all 16 Leadership Principles?
Yes. You don't need to recite them verbatim, but you should know each one well enough to recognize when a question is testing it and craft your answer accordingly.
How many LPs should one answer cover?
Aim to hit 2–3 LPs per answer. Interviewers appreciate depth, but don't force-fit LPs that don't naturally belong in your story.