Amazon: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy redefines leadership: Smaller teams, bigger impact

In a powerful message to Amazon employees, CEO Andy Jassy has redefined what leadership means at the e-commerce and cloud computing giant. Speaking during an internal town hall, Jassy emphasised that the best leaders are those who "get the most done with the least amount of resources." The remarks mark a significant shift in Amazon's approach to performance, promotions, and organisational structure. According to a recording of the meeting obtained by Business Insider, Jassy made it clear that simply building large teams will no longer be a path to career advancement at Amazon. "The way to get ahead at Amazon is not to accumulate a giant team and fiefdom," Jassy said. "There's no award for having a big team. We want to be scrappy and do a lot more with less." The comments come in the wake of Amazon's recently completed initiative to reduce management layers and cut bureaucracy across the organisation. As part of this broader effort, Amazon increased the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15%-a structural change designed to streamline decision-making and improve agility. Smaller teams, greater innovation Jassy pointed to Amazon Web Services (AWS) as an example of how small teams can deliver outsised results. He noted that many of AWS's most successful products were launched by teams of roughly a dozen of people. "Every new project shouldn't take 50 or more people to do it," he added, underscoring the company's preference for lean, high-performing teams that prioritise impact over headcount. The shift represents more than just organisational efficiency. It's also a cultural message: Amazon values execution, ownership, and customer-centricity over bureaucracy and hierarchical growth. A culture of meritocracy over bureaucracy In line with Amazon's long-standing leadership principles, Jassy emphasised that advancement at the company is based on results-not politics. "It's not how charismatic you are. It's not whether you're good at managing up or managing sideways. What matters is what we get done for customers. That is what we reward," he said. The Amazon CEO also encouraged employees to "move fast and act like owners," reminding them of the fierce competition from both big tech rivals and nimble startups working round the clock. "What would I do if this was my company? And by the way, it is your company. This is all of our company," Jassy told employees. Jassy's comments signal a continued evolution in Amazon's corporate philosophy-one that rewards innovation, speed, and customer obsession over traditional markers of leadership such as title, charisma, or team size.