What happens to a company that has a compulsive introvert as its founder CEO, a bullying culture and, in 2000/2001, lost 90% of its share price?
Well that depends on professional diagnosis and any new medicine, doesn’t it?
No, not when the founder is Jeff Bezos and the company is Amazon.
This thoroughly researched book explains the relentless rise of Amazon from start-up in 1994 to employing 124,000 in 2014 when this book was released, and since to 798,000 in 2019.
The book throws evidence based light on such aspects as risk taking, senior management debacles, negotiating, project management, organisational strategy and much else. Reading this you will learn about two-pizza teams, the reason for banning Excel and PowerPoint and other idiosyncrasies, all based on in-depth interviews and historical facts.
Episodes describe Bezos’s approach to supplier relationships, launching of new ventures and problem resolution. Strong themes include the vital importance of clear goals and values, even if they are not acceptable to many, creating and nurturing a strong close senior team and thinking big.
A valuable take-away from this book for any consultant is Jeff Bezos’s management reading list of twelve books. It is no surprise to find amongst the authors Jim Collins, Clayton Christensen and Eliyahu Goldratt.
The book is well written so is an engaging read. Highly recommended.
Book reviewer RG Member: David Shannon
