Grit

#220 Former CEO Amazon Worldwide Consumer, Jeff Wilke: Exponential

Dec 9, 2024

Jeff Wilke, former CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer and chairman of Re:Build Manufacturing, shares his insights from over two decades at Amazon. He discusses the incremental journey behind Amazon Prime's explosive growth and the grit necessary for leadership. Reflecting on Amazon's holiday crisis in 2000, he highlights teamwork and clear principles. Wilke also delves into the challenges and strategies behind the Whole Foods acquisition, and how direct interaction with frontline workers refines mental models. His perspective underscores the importance of resilience and continuous improvement in operations.

01:15:27

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Episode guests

Jeff Wilke

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Grit involves maintaining momentum through challenges, crucial for resilience in both personal and organizational growth.

Effective leadership demands a state of flow, requiring awareness and adaptability to maximize team contributions amidst complexities.

Operational success at Amazon stemmed from continuous improvement and understanding fulfillment nuances, transforming challenges into growth opportunities.

Deep dives

Navigating Pressure with Grit

Under pressure, the reaction can often be to give up, feeling overwhelmed and out of control. However, a more resilient response involves digging deep and persevering through challenges. The discussion emphasizes that grit is about maintaining forward momentum, even when facing significant obstacles. This mindset is crucial in both personal and professional contexts, particularly when building and scaling organizations.

Intro

2min

Grit in Leadership and Operations

23min

The Power of Reflection in Learning and Growth

2min

The Art of Reflection: Journaling and Clarity in Communication

2min

Leadership Lessons from Amazon's Holiday Crisis

22min

Strategic Acquisition: Whole Foods

5min

Navigating Challenges in the Fashion Industry

19min

Legacy and Grit in Tech

2min

Guest: Jeff Wilke, former CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer and chairman of Re:Build Manufacturing

Jeff Wilke worked more than 20 years at Amazon, overseeing the million-person team that speedily gets packages from warehouses to doorsteps. In hindsight, he observes that Amazon Prime’s exponential growth was actually an incremental daily process.

“I used to say things like, ‘If God was running this plant, whoever is your God ... they can’t violate physical laws. How well would they do?’ And then we know where we are,” Jeff says.

“If we’re perfect in it, compounding over all this time, we’re going to get there. But when you’re in the middle of it, it can feel almost impossible.”

Chapters:

(01:37) - Grit and longevity
(02:24) - Flow state
(07:29) - Refining mental models
(12:29) - The ivory tower and the shop floor
(16:49) - Gnarly holidays
(20:41) - Identifying grit
(24:28) - Reflecting and learning
(27:36) - Christmas 2000
(31:06) - The duplicate bug
(34:01) - Incremental progress
(38:36) - Prime Video
(43:05) - Organizing the day
(46:42) - Amazon’s leaders
(49:55) - The Whole Foods acquisition
(53:33) - Amazon Fashion
(59:54) - The great Kindle battle
(01:02:40) - How to work with Jeff Bezos
(01:05:11) - Leaving Amazon
(01:09:48) - Re:Build Manufacturing
(01:14:35) - What “grit” means to Jeff

Mentioned in this episode: Peloton, Andy Jassy, Daniel Kahneman, Zoom, Allied Signal, Toyota and the Gemba Walk, MacKenzie Scott, Bob Thomas and Crucibles of Leadership, David Risher, Toys “R” Us, Amazon Prime, Jeff Blackburn, Louis Pasteur, Netflix, Bill Carr, Steve Kessel, Larry Bossidy, Rick Dalzell, West Point, John Mackey, Liesl Wilke, Tony Hsieh, the Met Gala, Anna Wintour, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Tebow, the New York Jets, Shopbob, Gucci, Zara, Cathy Beaudoin, Walmart, Dave Clark, John Doerr, Bill Baumol, and Bing Gordon.

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