Amazon Leadership Principle - Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

The Thought - “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”

What is “Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit” at Amazon

Read this leadership principle in two parts, Have Backbone and Disagree and (read as ‘but’) commit. Leaders are expected to have backbone, essentially meaning that leaders are expected to speak up and voice out their opinion or point of view. Agreeing to a point despite having a differing opinion only so that you are not seen as a critic, often leads to decisions that create sub standard solutions for the customer. This does not mean challenging everyone around on everything, it actually means respectfully placing your point of view with data or customer anecdote.

And the second part of the leadership principle is Disagree and Commit. Everyone in the team strongly believes that the solution being discussed is the best for the customer, however due to insufficient data to defend differing opinion, say "I DISAGREE BUT as the group believes it is the right solution, hence I COMMIT myself to this solution and I will give my best to make the team successful in building the solution.

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit Amazon interview questions

• Share an example when you voiced your point of view in a team meeting where all had a different opinion, how did you share your point of view ?

• Talk about an example when you disagreed with a team's decision and it proved to be wrong ?

• Share a time when you disagreed and committed to a team solution but later it failed, what did you do ?

• Can you share an example when your best idea was turned down when you strongly believed that it would help the customer, how did you react ?

Interviewers expectations from your answers on “Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit”

• Are  you someone who cares for the customer and the larger organisation objective and has the ability to push a solution that is best for the customer?

• Are you someone who uses data, challenges outliers and beliefs even if it means going against a team decision ?

• Are you respectful to others and when you have a different opinion on the idea presented, you respectfully disagree with their point of view ?

• Are you someone who blames others for failure saying that, “see i told you, it is not going to work” ?

Must have in your answers on “Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit”

• Talk about how you keep your biases at bay, you do not look at person presenting the idea but look the idea being presented focusing on customer.

• You are someone who is always prepared for the meeting, you anticipate pitfalls, put them on table for discussion and you are not afraid of being looked at as non favourite.

• You have complete understanding of the solution, you look for realistic plans and you are strongly opinionated against the solution but when you are onboard, you leave no room for any complacency. You give your best to make your team win.

• You never blame anyone, if the solution failed and your opinion won, which was not considered by people. You treat it as a failure of the team as a whole including you.