Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change

by Beth Comstock

What attracted us to Jason was that he’d grown up under Jeff Bezos’s theory of innovation management. As an Amazon executive, Jason had attained a Zen-like mastery in managing conflict. To Jeff Bezos, workplace harmony is overrated; conflict is the spice that leads inexorably to innovation. Executives at Amazon are inculcated in Bezos’s management notions, such as #13, Have Backbone; Disagree, and Commit. “Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.”