Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Says There's One Trait That Contributes 'an Embarrassing Amount' to Being Successful Jassy succeeded founder Jeff Bezos as Amazon's CEO in 2021.

By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut

Key Takeaways

  • In a new blog post, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy gave career advice and emphasized the importance of a can-do attitude in career advancement.
  • Jassy joined Amazon 28 years ago as a product manager.

Before Amazon CEO Andy Jassy joined Amazon in 1997 as a marketing manager, he had tried multiple career paths, working in investment banking, sports production, and retail.

In an Amazon blog post published last week, Jassy, 57, reflected on his career and emphasized how important the right attitude was for his success.

"I do believe that an embarrassing amount of what makes people successful is attitude," Jassy wrote in the post.

Related: 'The Best Advice That I Could Give Anybody': Billionaire Ray Dalio Credits One Daily Habit With All of His Success

After taking on various leadership roles at Amazon, he internally founded and led the company's cloud computing business Amazon Web Services (AWS), becoming CEO of the division in 2016. By 2020, AWS had an annual operating profit of $13.5 billion, which was more than 63% of Amazon's entire operating profit for the year. The following year, Jassy succeeded founder Jeff Bezos as Amazon's CEO.

Jassy defined a successful attitude as working hard, following through on commitments, being trustworthy, being able to work on a team, and caring about the mission of a company. Amazon's mission is to be "Earth's most customer-centric company." He also stated that those with a successful attitude have a can-do mentality that allows them to contribute meaningfully to a company.

Jassy said that he tried out multiple career paths before joining Amazon and that each was a lesson in what he didn't want to do.

"I don't think that you have to know what your final destination is in your job early in your life," Jassy wrote, "Maybe not even in your 40s, 50s, and 60s. I think that you have a chance to keep writing your own story and reinventing your own story."

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This isn't the first time Jassy has highlighted attitude as a vital ingredient for success. In an interview with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky last year, Jassy said that his best career advice, especially for those starting in the workforce, would be to adopt the right attitude.

"There are so many things that you can't control in your work life, but you can control your attitude," Jassy said, at the time.

He explained in the interview that having a trustworthy, can-do mentality "makes a big difference" and allows people to pick up mentors and advocates more quickly.

Related: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Says Earning Employees' Trust Takes More Than 'Being Nice' — Here's How He Does It

Jassy is the latest leader on a career advice kick. Last week, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon advised CEOs and company executives to be humble and treat employees well regardless of what title they hold in the company. Dimon also told leaders to show grit and make decisions quickly throughout the day.

Amazon is the fourth most valuable company in the world with a market cap of over $2 trillion.

Sherin Shibu

Entrepreneur Staff

News Reporter

Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at Entrepreneur.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.

Business News

Here's How Much a Typical Google Employee Makes in a Year

Compensation for the median Google employee was up 5% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Jeff Bezos Launches a Tesla-Rival That's 'Affordable' and Customizable. Here's What the EV Truck Looks Like.

Slate Auto has launched its reservation site, where truck buyers can create a vehicle with a spate of customizations.

Leadership

What Makes You a Unicorn in Your Industry? Start by Mastering These 4 Pillars

We all want to achieve elusive unicorn status. But how do you attain such a lofty goal among stiff competition, all vying for the same thing?

Leadership

This Overlooked Leadership Skill Will Help You Build Trust, Influence Teams and Thrive Under Pressure. Here's How to Develop It.

Executive presence is a critical but underrated leadership skill in 2025. Here are the steps you can take to develop it.