In today's economic times, a small business must look at how to effectively run their company. And where does the owner look for advice? Perhaps at the top CEOs in the world. They have found the road to success balancing: passion, curiosity, confidence, risk, vision, and people skills. The top CEOs rewrote the rules of commerce and are emulated by all. Perhaps one of the best known for taking an idea and turning it into a multi-billion-dollar company is Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com. He changed the way people view retail while many follow his climb to success.
Brief Biography
Jeff Bezos graduated from Princeton University with a BA/BS in computer science and electrical engineering. He worked briefly as a financial analyst before his amazing start to achieve fame. Jeff Bezos climb as founder and CEO of Amazon.com are the things that legends are made of. It started when Bezos noticed that the internet usage was significantly increasing yearly and books, with no organized selling mechanism, might be a perfect application for the internet. He learned as much as he could about the book business and seized the opportunity, opening, with his wife, his business in a two-bedroom house in Seattle. Why Seattle? Jeff had an endless supply of computer talent and a big book wholesaler in Ingram. Moving Amazon.com from an online bookstore to selling consumer products, many questioned his logic. But the business grew quickly out-pacing the competition.
Management Style
"Six Core Values: customer obsession, ownership, bias for action, frugality, high hiring bar and innovation," Jeff spoke. "Our vision," he said, "is the world's most customer-centric company. The place where people come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online." Jeffs passion was to grow quickly and through this planned expansion, the profits will follow. And they did. He is known to be a methodical planner with a passionate curiosity to learn. Interviews show him ready to laugh but at the center of technical innovation talking about his recent invention or product. Bezos, a risk taker, "If you invent frequently and are willing to fail, then you never get to that point where you really need to bet the whole company", is pushing the envelope into new technology, often at the leading edge.
Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, is someone to follow and study. His techniques for passion, planning and risk management are the inspiration to growth, while innovation is the cornerstone to success.
Sources
Farhad Manjoo, Aug. 1, 2011, "People Will Misunderstand You", Slate
Andrew Bary, March 28, 2011, 30 Best CEOs, BARRON'S ONLINE
Farhad Manjoo, Aug. 2, 2011, Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com, Slate
August 9, 2010, Jeffrey P. Bezos, Inventing E-Commerce, Academy of Achievement
Speakers Jeff Bezos: Online commerce pioneer, TED Ideas worth spreading
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