Leadership Analysis: Examining Jeff Bezos' Leadership at Amazon

This report provides a detailed analysis of Jeff Bezos' leadership at Amazon, examining various facets of his leadership approach. It begins with an introduction to leadership and its significance, followed by an exploration of Bezos' key leadership characteristics such as integrity, confidence, decision-making abilities, self-awareness, gratitude, accountability, empathy, courage, and respect. The report then delves into the leadership styles employed by Bezos, including autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire styles, providing scenarios where each style is applied within Amazon. Furthermore, the report highlights the critical role of leadership in organizational success, focusing on the motivation of subordinates, upliftment of morale, identification and solving of problems. The report concludes with a comprehensive overview of leadership theories, supported by credible sources, offering a well-rounded understanding of Bezos' impact on Amazon.

Leadership

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Leadership characteristics............................................................................................................1
Leadership Styles.........................................................................................................................2
Role of leadership in the success of an organization...................................................................4
Theories of leadership..................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Leadership refers to a skill or an ability to effectively lead a group of people in a
particular organization (Anderson and Sun, 2017). It needs to be displayed by the leaders so that
they are able to undertake certain decisions for the benefit of the organization. This skill helps
them a lot for leading the people in the right direction by giving them proper instructions. In this
assignment, analysis will be made on the leadership displayed by Jeff Bezos who is the CEO of
Amazon. Different aspects related to the leadership displayed by him will be considered as a part
of this project.
MAIN BODY
Leadership characteristics
Characteristics refer to features or qualities which belong to a person or a thing with
which they can be identified. In Leadership, there are certain characteristics through which a
leader can be identified easily. Jeff Bezos has been able to take Amazon to the list of Top 10
companies in the world through displaying exemplary leadership in an effective manner. There
are different types of leadership characteristics which are displayed by different types of leaders
(Banks and et.al., 2016). The characteristics which are displayed by Jeff Bezos are as follows-
Integrity- Integrity refers to being honest in approach and making sure that moral and
ethical principles are followed in an appropriate manner. This integrity is displayed by Jeff
Bezos in the management of Amazon. Therefore this allows him to be able to manage the
company in a highly effective manner. For Example- Jeff Bezos gives high value to ethical and
moral principles in Amazon which allows him to ensure that ethics and morals are maintained in
Amazon.
Confidence- Confidence refers to the feeling which allows a person to feel that they will
be successful in doing a particular task. Jeff Bezos has confidence which allows him to be able to
lead people effectively. For Example- Jeff Bezos is not afraid from taking tough decisions which
are required for ensuring that the organization achieves the required success in the future. For
example- Jeff Bezos is making 1 billion investment in India which signifies his confidence on
the current business situation in India and the likely returns on the investment which can be
generated (Jeff Bezos bets on 'Indian Century', gives MSMEs $1-billion push, 2020). It is the
confidence which allows business leaders like Jeff Bezos to make such a move which can ensure
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them higher returns in the future time period due to the risk of investment taken by them.
Example of 1 billion investment justify his confidence on current business situation exist in
India.
Decision-making- To be able to make decisions which are impactful in nature is a skill
which a leader has. Jeff Bezos is able to take decisions in an effective manner which allows him
to be successful. For example- Jeff Bezos takes decisions related to financial requirements in
Amazon and decides where the money will be spent. Jeff Bezos believes that it takes strong guts
to take decisions. He believes that in life most important decisions are taken with instinct and
intuition, taste and heart. Therefore by taking correct decisions by following his heart he has
been able to take the company to the top of achieving success.
Self-awareness- The ability of self-awareness is essential for the leaders to be aware
about own strengths and weaknesses which can enable them to properly guide their team
members so that they achieve the organizational goals and objectives. Jeff Bezos has a high self-
awareness which enables him to provide correct guidance to the subordinates in the company so
that they are able to achieve their goals and objectives. For example- Jeff Bezos is aware about
his leadership qualities which allows him to make its use in a proper manner to attain the goals
and objectives.
Gratitude- A leader should display the gratitude towards the members of different teams
in the organization for the good work which they have done. Jeff Bezos displays gratitude
towards the team members in his company which enables them to be able to work with
maximum potential. For example- Jeff Bezos displays thankfulness towards hardworking and
committed workers and gives rewards to them.
Accountability- Accountability means being answerable to the work which has been
done. Good leaders are accountable for the decisions which are undertaken by them, As a leader
Jeff Bezos also makes certain mistakes for which he has accountability and therefore needs to
rectify them. For example- Jeff Bezos takes the accountability for the decisions which he is
taking which is helpful for him to be able to attain the desired goals and objectives.
Empathy- Empathy refers to understanding and relating with the feelings of someone
else. The relation of empathy can be linked with job performance and it is a must for a leader to
be able to motivate the subordinates in an effective manner. Jeff Bezos displays this empathy
which enables him to motivate workers to derive higher-level of performance from them. For
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example- Jeff Bezos has empathy towards the people working in the organization and thus is
able to understand them.
Courage- Courage refers to the choice and willingness to take a particular action. There
must be courage in a leader to be able to take the right decisions for the benefit of the
organization (D’Innocenzo, Mathieu and Kukenberger, 2016). Jeff Bezos has courage which
enables him to take decisions which are beneficial for his company. For example- Jeff Bezos is
able to display courage by taking certain actions in tough situations.
Respect- Respect refers to the show of a positive feeling towards someone to give esteem
or high regard to them. Jeff Bezos displays respect towards the subordinates which enables
taking right decisions and achievement of goals as well as objectives in the future time period.
For example- Jeff Bezos displays proper respect towards the workers of Amazon and holds them
in high esteem and regard.
Leadership Styles
There are various types of leadership styles which a leader can adopt for the purpose of
leading an organization. These styles are explained as follows-
Autocratic style-
In Autocratic Style the leaders are able to take decisions by themselves by showing high-
level of autocracy in the organization. Decisions are taken by the leaders on their own without
consulting the subordinates for their opinion (Epitropaki and et.al., 2017) Jeff Bezos makes use
of this style in certain situations where its use is required.
Scenario- In Amazon the employees are not working in a proper manner. They are
displaying carelessness and are not able to achieve their targets. In such a situation, Jeff Bezos
will make the use of autocratic style and will take tough decisions for the benefit of the
employees.
Advantages-
 The use of this style can lead towards taking of fast decisions in an organization and there
will be no delay in the decision-making process.
 Using this style can help in the achievement of more efficiency and effectiveness in the
decision-making process.
Disadvantages-
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 With the use of this style there will be establishment of autocracy within an organization
and the decision-making power will be centralized.
 When this style is used it affects the decision-making ability of the subordinates within a
company.
Democratic style-
In an organization democratic style can be used by the leaders so that they are able to
take decisions with the consultation given by the subordinates (Fischer, Dietz and Antonakis,
2017). Jeff Bezos makes use of this style in certain situations where there is a need and
requirement of consulting with the subordinates.
Scenario- In Amazon, the employees are working on a particular project in which they
are required to take certain decisions on their own. Therefore this helps them in developing
abilities.
Example- Jeff Bezos has high expectations from his workers at Amazon and expects a lot
from them. Therefore Jeff Bezos believes that by involving them in decision-making process by
allowing them freedom to take certain decisions by themselves. Thus in way he makes use of
Democratic Leadership Style.
Advantages-
 The use of this style can be made within the organizations by the leaders and it offers
them an advantage of decentralizing their decision-making authority which can reduce
their work burden.
 Using this style can allow the subordinates to be able to develop their decision-making
ability in a highly effective manner. Therefore in this way the leaders can take the right
decisions.
Disadvantages-
 Using this style can lead to somewhat less control by the leaders on the functioning of the
organization and its processes.
 With the use of this style the leaders of an organization cannot take decisions quickly.
The entire process becomes slow because the leader needs to take the opinion of other
subordinates before the decision can be taken.
Laissez-Faire style-
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In firms Laissez-Faire style can be used by the leaders so that they are able to take only the
important decisions while leaving the decision-making authority to the subordinates (Hughes and
et.al., 2018). Jeff Bezos is able to use it in certain situations where the decisions can be
undertaken by the subordinates without his intervention.
Scenario- In Amazon sometimes the workers require complete freedom to work on a
particular project which allows Jeff Bezos to use this style.
Advantages-
 The use of this style can be made by the leaders which offers them an advantage of
reducing their work burden.
 With the use of this style the leaders can develop decision-taking power in the
subordinates.
Disadvantages-
 By making use of this style the leaders cannot take strict action on the mistakes done by
the subordinates which can reduce their efficiency and effectiveness.
 When this style is used the role of a leader in an organization is downplayed this can
create an impact on the overall working of an organization.
Role of leadership in the success of an organization
There is a particular role which leadership plays in the success of the organizations. This
is explained as follows-
Motivation of subordinates- When the leader of the organization displays the right
leadership techniques then the subordinates are motivated towards the achievement of their goals
and objectives. This can be done by identification of the ways through which the subordinates
are motivated and implementing them in the organization. Thus Jeff Bezos is able to make use of
these techniques and motivate its workers to achieve their goals and objectives.
Upliftment of morale- The leaders of the organizations are required to make sure that
they uplift the morale of the subordinates with the use of correct techniques. When these
techniques are used the leaders are able to make sure that the workers are motivated with the use
of suitable rewards. This can uplift their morale and they will be able to attain their goals and
objectives easily. Therefore Jeff Bezos is able to make use of these techniques. Jeff Bezos makes
sure that the morale is uplifted with the use of right methods. This contributes towards the
success of an organization.
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Identification of problems- A good leader is a person who can easily identify the
different types of problems which the subordinates are facing. Jeff Bezos identifies the different
types of problems which the workers face in Amazon and this helps in taking of appropriate
action to resolve them. For example- A leader like Jeff Bezos identifies problems quickly and is
able to find out the solutions which can be applied for the same ensuring that the subordinates
are committed towards their work.
Solving of problems- A good leader frames an action plan for the solving of problems
faced by the subordinates. The leaders are able to put forward their ideas for the framing of the
action plan in a highly effective manner. Jeff Bezos solves the problems of the subordinates and
make sure that work in the organization is not affected which helps in attainment of success.
Providing of guidance- A good leader has the responsibility of providing the guidance to
the subordinates. A leader should be able to provide help to the workers when they face touch
situations so that they are able to work under their guidance in an effective manner. Jeff Bezos
provides this guidance to the subordinates which is helpful for them to achieve the different
types of goals. When the right guidance is provided to them they work in a proper manner and
the organization can attain the desired level of success in the future time period. For example- In
a situation where an organization is facing problems and issues in dealing with low sales Jeff
Bezos can provide guidance to workers so that they are able to deal with the situation.
Delegation of responsibilities- When delegation of the responsibilities is done by a
leader then in this way subordinates can be made more responsible towards the goals and
objectives of the organization (Khalifa and et.al., 2016). The use of leadership is important in
delegation because in this way the leaders are able to reduce their burden. This helps in the
improvement of responsibilities. Jeff Bezos delegates the important responsibilities to the
subordinates which makes them responsible to handle them in an effective manner and in this
way they will be able to take the organization on the path of achieving the desired success.
Theories of leadership
There are different types of theories which can be applied in leadership. Some of these
are as follows-
Path-Goal Theory-
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The use of this theory can be made by the leaders so that they are able to ascertain the
path which they can use for showing the correct directions to their subordinates. The paths which
a leader can adopt are as follows-
Directive Path- In this path, a leader is required to give specific directions and
instructions to the subordinates. Jeff Bezos can provide the use this path by giving instructions
and directions to the workers for the purpose of achievement of their goals and objectives. When
there is a requirement to be strict with the workers Bezos makes the use of this path.
Achievement-oriented Path- In this path, a leader needs to set challenging goals for the
workers of the organization. In this way their skills and abilities can be developed. Jeff Bezos
can set challenging goals for the purpose of development of decision-taking abilities of the
workers. When there is a requirement to direct the employees towards achieving their goals Jeff
Bezos makes use of this path.
Participative Path- When a leader makes the use of this path the participation of the
subordinates in the decision-making process can be ensured. Jeff Bezos can ensure this particular
participation of the employees in the decision-making process. When there is a requirement to
ensure the participation of workers to take the decisions Jeff Bezos can make use of this path.
Supportive Path- A leader can make the use of supportive path and can support the
subordinates in the company in an effective manner. Jeff Bezos can make use of this path and
therefore this will ensure that adequate support is provided to the workers. When there is a
requirement to be supportive and support the workers Jeff Bezos makes use of this path.
Transactional Leadership Theory-
The use of this leadership theory can be made by the leaders of a particular organization
when they make sure that the motivation and direction of the subordinates can be done by
appealing to their self-interest. The dimensions of this theory are as follows-
Contingent Rewards- According to transactional leaders, rewards motivate the
subordinates to perform in a better manner.
Active Management by Exception- Transactional leaders can conduct the active
monitoring of the work done by the subordinates.
Passive Management by Exception- Transactional leaders can act in a passive approach
and interfere only in important decisions.
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Laissez-Faire- Transactional leaders can delegate the entire decision-making power to
the subordinates by intervening only in extremely important situations.
The use of this theory is made by Jeff Bezos so that the right approach is adopted towards
ensuring that the motivation of the subordinates remains high and they achieve their goals and
objectives.
Transformational Leadership Theory-
This leadership theory is used when a leader is required to bring a change in the
organization and therefore needs to work with teams to bring it. With the use of this theory Jeff
Bezos is able to make sure that the working pattern of the organization can be transformed.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it can be said that leadership is a process through which
leaders establish their authority within the organization. There are various characteristics of
leadership. It makes use of various styles. There is a particular role which it plays in the success
of the organizations. Also the theories of leadership can be applied by the leaders depending
upon the nature of the situation to take the necessary action which is desired in it.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Anderson, M. H. and Sun, P. Y., 2017. Reviewing leadership styles: Overlaps and the need for a
new ‘full‐range’theory. International Journal of Management Reviews. 19(1). pp.76-96.
Banks, G. C. and et.al., 2016. A meta-analytic review of authentic and transformational
leadership: A test for redundancy. The leadership quarterly. 27(4). pp.634-652.
Bedi, A., Alpaslan, C. M. and Green, S., 2016. A meta-analytic review of ethical leadership
outcomes and moderators. Journal of Business Ethics. 139(3). pp.517-536.
D’Innocenzo, L., Mathieu, J. E. and Kukenberger, M. R., 2016. A meta-analysis of different
forms of shared leadership–team performance relations. Journal of Management. 42(7).
pp.1964-1991.
Epitropaki, O. and et.al., 2017. Leadership and followership identity processes: A multilevel
review. The Leadership Quarterly. 28(1). pp.104-129.
Fischer, T., Dietz, J. and Antonakis, J., 2017. Leadership process models: A review and
synthesis. Journal of Management. 43(6). pp.1726-1753.
Hughes, D. J. and et.al., 2018. Leadership, creativity, and innovation: A critical review and
practical recommendations. The Leadership Quarterly. 29(5). pp.549-569.
Khalifa, M. A. and et.al., 2016. Culturally responsive school leadership: A synthesis of the
literature. Review of Educational Research. 86(4). pp.1272-1311.
Online
Jeff Bezos bets on 'Indian Century', gives MSMEs $1-billion push. 2020. [Online] . Available
through: <https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/jeff-bezos-bets-on-
indian-century-gives-msmes-1-billion-push-120011600048_1.html>
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