Breaking the People-Pleasing Trap

Why Good Leaders Value Truth Over Agreement

There's a story about Jeff Bezos that I was told when I was becoming an Amazon bar-raiser that has stuck with me.

In the early days of Amazon, Jeff referred a friend for a position at the company. After the interview, there was a discussion about the candidate. Every interviewer said he didn't have the skills for the job and wasn't a fit for the position.

But he was Jeff's friend.

After they debriefed, they wrote a six-page memo explaining why they decided not to hire. It laid out the decision and why it was not good for the company and the team's direction. It took a large effort and probably some nights and a weekend to write.

When Jeff asked about the hire, the conversation went something like this:

"Hey, what happened to the person I referred for that position?"

"We've decided that we're not going to extend an offer, we've written a..."

"OK, thanks."

T…