The Amazon Leadership Principle “Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility” speaks to the immense accountability that comes with growth and influence—an idea that resonates strongly with the high-impact nature of Big Bets. When organizations undertake transformative initiatives, such as Big Bets, they must be mindful of the broader impact their actions have on stakeholders, communities, and the environment. Leaders managing Big Bets are tasked with more than just delivering business results; they must consider the ripple effects of their decisions on the world at large. This principle reminds leaders to be humble, thoughtful, and committed to continuous improvement as they scale both their business and their impact.

In the context of Big Bets, this principle emphasizes the need for leaders to prioritize responsibility alongside innovation. As organizations grow through successful Big Bets, the stakes become higher—not just in terms of financial outcomes but in the way they shape industries, communities, and future generations. Leaders must approach each decision with a sense of responsibility, ensuring that their actions create value not just for customers, but for employees, partners, and society as a whole. The focus on sustainability, ethical practices, and long-term thinking becomes even more critical as organizations grow and scale their initiatives.

Finally, this leadership principle aligns with the core Big Bet habit of creating clarity. Leaders must have a clear understanding of the broader implications of their actions and be determined to “leave things better than they found them.” This is especially relevant in large-scale, transformative efforts, where the long-term success of a Big Bet hinges not only on business metrics but on the organization’s ability to contribute positively to the world. By focusing on broad responsibility, leaders ensure that their Big Bets are sustainable and aligned with a higher purpose, creating lasting value for all stakeholders involved.

We started in a garage, but we’re not there anymore. We are big, we impact the world, and we are far from perfect. We must be humble and thoughtful about even the secondary effects of our actions. Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day. We must begin each day with a determination to make better, do better, and be better for our customers, our employees, our partners, and the world at large. And we must end every day knowing we can do even more tomorrow. Leaders create more than they consume and always leave things better than how they found them.

Amazon Leadership Principle — Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

The Amazon Way, third edition, was released months before this leadership principle was added to Amazon’s list. Did it influence them? I’ll never know, but it is a coincidence. It was needed. Here’s what I urged Amazon to consider — I called it “The Golden Rule” Principle

Suggested Leadership Principle Fifteen — The Golden Rule

Treat others as you would like to be treated — employees, vendors, partners, brands, small companies, competitors, press, critics, community. Contribute and be a leading steward of your community. Foster and lobby not for your best interests, but for future innovation and competition’s best interests.  Conduct yourself, both personally and as an organization, in a way your mom and your kids would be proud of. Always.

Treat others as you would like to be treated. Be forthright. Respect brands, intellectual property and other businesses. Don’t seek unfair business advantage. Invest and encourage your employees to contribute to their community. Be a leader in all matters related to employee safety, inclusion and well-being.  You are doing these things already!  This leadership principle is a message to all that leading on these topics is the expectation.

The programs and examples where Amazon demonstrate this leadership principle today are extensive and largely get overlooked by the press and policies makers today. It’s donated more than $100 million dollars to charitable organizations through its AmazonSmile program[1]. Plus, it launched the Amazon Technical Veterans Apprenticeship[2] and the Career Choice[3] program, both of which represent big investments in training and education for U.S. veterans.  Amazon has also pledged more than $50 million to STEM and CS education[4]. When Senator Bernie Sanders and others called for improved wages and worker conditions, Bezos raised their minimum wage to $15.  In a 2019 shareholder letter, Bezos explained that “it seemed like the right thing to do.”[5] In January of 2021 Amazon announced a $2B loan and grant program to promote affordable housing in the three city locations where they have impacted affordability the most – Seattle, Arlington Virginia and Nashville.[6]  Just as Bezos flipped the script by raising the minimum wage across the board, the Golden Rule would set a reference point for the future of Amazon.  This leadership principle is needed for all big companies, especially technology companies, not just Amazon, as the power of data and algorithms is having such a profound impact in our society and competition.

While the first 25 years of Amazon have been historical, I am looking forward to the next 25 years.  Guided by their leadership principles, hopefully with some version of The Golden Rule, Amazon is on course for both business success and positive impact on society.  I hope all companies join in strengthening competition and leadership.