Understanding AWS leadership principles for interview success

If you're preparing for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) coding interview, you've probably heard about the importance of the AWS leadership principles. But how exactly do they factor into the interview process—and what can you do to stand out?

In this blog, we’ll break down the AWS leadership principles, how they’re evaluated in interviews, and how you can craft compelling responses that demonstrate alignment with Amazon’s core values.

What are the AWS leadership principles?#

The AWS leadership principles are a set of 16 guiding values that define Amazon’s company culture and decision-making framework. These principles are not just a list of buzzwords—they are actively used to assess how candidates and employees think, behave, and solve problems.

Unlike many companies focusing solely on technical performance, AWS expects candidates to demonstrate these principles through real-world examples. These examples are used to evaluate how you collaborate, manage ambiguity, handle failure, and deliver value to customers.

Here are just a few examples:

• Customer Obsession: Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. Everything you do should be grounded in delivering customer value.

• Ownership: Leaders act on behalf of the entire company, not just their team. This includes thinking long-term and never saying "that’s not my job."

• Invent and Simplify: Leaders expect and require innovation and find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas everywhere, and are not limited by "not invented here."

• Bias for Action: Speed matters in business; many decisions are reversible and do not need extensive study. A bias for action allows for agility and experimentation.

Each principle reflects a distinct way of thinking, working, and leading, and your interviewers will be listening closely for signs that you embody them.

Why do they matter in AWS interviews?#

Behavioral interviews at AWS are structured around the leadership principles. Every interviewer is assigned one or more principles to evaluate, and your answers are judged based on how well they demonstrate those specific values. It’s not enough to be technically excellent—you must also be a cultural fit.

Here’s why they matter:

• Cultural consistency: AWS wants to ensure you align with how they operate internally.

• Long-term impact: The principles guide decision-making beyond any single role.

• Scalable collaboration: They help ensure that teams across AWS can work together effectively.

That means your ability to solve technical problems isn’t enough. You also need to:

• Show how you’ve made customer-centric decisions under pressure.

• Demonstrate ownership of projects and outcomes, especially when things go wrong.

• Explain how you’ve simplified complex challenges or processes.

• Describe how you’ve taken calculated risks under uncertainty and learned from failure.

If your stories reflect the AWS leadership principles, you’ll leave a much stronger impression—and have a higher chance of moving forward.

How to prepare using the STAR method#

One of the most effective ways to prepare for behavioral questions is to use the STAR method:

• Situation: Set the context for the story.

• Task: Define your responsibility or goal.

• Action: Describe the specific actions you took.

• Result: Share the impact and lessons learned.

To align with the AWS leadership principles:

• Choose high-impact examples from past work experience highlighting ambiguity, challenge, or complexity.

• Tailor each story to emphasize a specific leadership principle.

• Be ready to answer follow-up questions that dig deeper into your decision-making process and the rationale behind your actions.

Example prompt: “Tell me about a time you disagreed with a decision.”

• Leadership principle: Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

• Good STAR story: A moment when you respectfully challenged your manager’s direction using data, pushed for a better solution, and committed to the final decision even if it wasn’t your first choice.

Bonus tip: Make a spreadsheet with a column for each leadership principle, and start filling in STAR-aligned stories for each one. This will help you spot gaps and avoid repeating the same stories in multiple interviews.

Tips to stand out in your interview#

To excel in the behavioral round:

• Know all 16 AWS leadership principles and study real examples of how they are demonstrated on the job.

• Prepare at least 2 stories per principle so you can tailor responses to different interviewers or follow-up questions.

• Use numbers and metrics to quantify your impact (e.g., "reduced page load time by 35%", "saved the team 15 hours per sprint").

• Be honest about failures—AWS values learning from mistakes and taking ownership.

• Stay structured—Even when answering complex or layered questions, stick to the STAR format to keep your answer focused.

Remember, your interviewers are trained to probe. They want to see how you behave under stress, how you make decisions, and how you handle conflict. They’re looking for patterns that align with how successful Amazonians operate.

How interviewers evaluate your answers#

Interviewers at AWS are not just listening for keywords—they’re assessing how deeply your actions align with the principles. They’re trained to identify signs of authenticity, ownership, and customer obsession.

Here’s what they pay close attention to:

• Do you clearly explain your thought process and reasoning?

• Do you take responsibility, especially in challenging situations?

• Are your examples impactful and specific?

• Can you adapt your story when probed further?

The more you internalize the AWS leadership principles, the easier it becomes to naturally demonstrate them.

Common mistakes to avoid#

Many strong candidates stumble in AWS interviews due to avoidable missteps:

• Giving vague or generic examples

• Over-relying on technical jargon without showing business impact

• Skipping the Result portion of the STAR method

• Using the same story for multiple principles

Avoiding these mistakes shows that you’ve studied the principles and understand how to communicate them effectively.

How to develop new examples if you’re early in your career#

If you’re early in your career or don’t have a deep portfolio of projects, don’t worry—you can still demonstrate the AWS leadership principles.

Tips:

• Use academic or personal projects to show customer focus and ownership.

• Talk about how you simplified a team process or adapted to unexpected challenges.

• Highlight group work, internships, or volunteer experiences.

It’s not about having the perfect story—it’s about showing how you think and solve problems.

Integrating principles into your technical interviews#

Even in technical interviews, your behavior matters. Demonstrating ownership, clarity, and bias for action while solving problems can set you apart.

Examples:

• Talking through trade-offs out loud shows you think like an owner.

• Asking clarifying questions shows customer obsession.

• Suggesting scalable improvements shows invent and simplify.

Don’t just demonstrate leadership principles in behavioral rounds—show them in every part of the process.

How bar raisers factor into the process#

Every AWS interview loop includes a "bar raiser"—an interviewer trained to uphold Amazon’s hiring standards. Their focus is often on long-term fit and leadership principle alignment.

What bar raisers look for:

• Are your examples high-impact and authentic?

• Do you push for better outcomes and raise the bar for peers?

• Are you coachable and resilient under pressure?

Impressing the bar raiser is key to getting a hire decision, so prepare stories that reflect impact, growth, and leadership.

How to practice with peers or mentors#

Mock interviews are one of the best ways to internalize the AWS leadership principles.

Here’s how to get started:

• Pair up with a peer preparing for similar roles.

• Alternate asking behavioral interview prompts and giving feedback.

• Record your responses and refine them based on clarity and depth.

Mock interviews build confidence and help you refine the delivery of your best stories.

Building a long-term habit of principle-based thinking#

AWS doesn’t expect you to memorize leadership principles—they expect you to live them. Start applying them now:

• Use “Customer Obsession” when making project decisions.

• Apply “Invent and Simplify” in your daily workflows.

• Reflect on “Ownership” when evaluating project outcomes.

By turning these into habits, you won’t need to force them during interviews—they’ll show up naturally.

Final thoughts#

Cracking an AWS interview requires more than technical skill—it demands a deep understanding of Amazon’s unique culture. By mastering the AWS leadership principles and preparing authentic, structured stories, you show that you're not just a great software engineer but a strong fit for the company.

Start early, prepare with intention, and practice aloud. The more fluent you are in these principles, the more naturally they’ll come across in your interviews. The long-term goal is incorporating them into how you think, not just how you interview.

Which of the AWS leadership principles resonates most with your experience? Let us know in the comments or share a story!