Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says currying favor with your boss won’t earn their trust

Looking to gain the trust of your manager and colleagues? Brown-nosing won’t get you there, according to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

“People often mix this up with being friendly to each other, having social unity, or refraining from challenging one another in meetings,” the 58-year-old industry veteran shared in a company video. “They might think, ‘I won’t question you if you don’t question me’ or ‘This person isn’t reliable because they challenged me in a group setting.’” This is a skill many people frequently get “wrong,” he notes.

Among all the tech giant’s penned by its founder Jeff Bezos, having a is critical for psychological safety, effective teamwork, and innovation. This same culture recently helped Amazon surpass in revenue, allowing it to rank for the first time in 13 years.

That’s why trust begins with being authentic—even if that involves telling your manager some tough truths or taking responsibility for your own errors.

“When we talk about ‘earning trust,’ we mean being truthful, genuine, and direct; listening carefully, but respectfully challenging others if you have a different opinion,” Jassy explained.

“If you believe we’re making a mistake that affects the business’s customers, speak out,” he continued. “If you’re in charge of something that’s not going smoothly, take ownership of it.”

And trust works both ways: Leaders hoping to win their team’s trust should become comfortable with being “openly self-critical, even when it’s uncomfortable or humiliating,” Jassy emphasized.

But don’t just talk the talk

Speaking up in meetings is important for building trust, but Jassy points out that it’s not sufficient by itself. You need to support your statements with actions and data to truly make an impact.

“If you claim you can do something, follow through,” he stated. “If you think we’re not as effective as we claim to be, compare us to others, use data, and prove it— and the same goes if we are performing well.”

Jassy shared in the early 2000s.

When he was presenting a 220-slide PowerPoint about his team’s operating plan to Bezos and other executives, Bezos cut him off after just 10 slides and said, “All the numbers on this slide are incorrect.”

“I was surprised,” Jassy remembered, then added that he soon realized the Amazon founder was right.

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Instead of feeling “resentful or angry at Jeff for pointing that out,” Jassy said, he used that moment to admit his mistake, take responsibility, and gain his boss’s trust.

It obviously paid off: Bezos later promoted Jassy to be one of his top advisors, then named him to take over as CEO in 2020.

“I gained trust by taking ownership, being openly self-critical, and actually improving—delivering a far better presentation and accurate account the next time I spoke to a larger audience,” the CEO concluded.

Can you be too authentic in the workplace?

Jassy isn’t the only one who advocates for workplace authenticity. Jeroen Temmerman, CEO of hair-tech company GHD, told that it’s essential for landing a top role like his.

“As a leader, you need to connect with people who are in similar situations as you—without any hidden motives—simply asking, ‘How did you fix that issue? Because I’m dealing with the same thing,’” he stated.

But as CEOs and experts told , bringing too much of your personal self to work can have negative consequences.

“While you’re at work, you don’t need to be 100% authentic all the time,” says Tanya Slyvkin, CEO of Whitepage, a presentation consulting firm.

She explains that displaying an overly bubbly personality can suggest you’re unable to make tough decisions—particularly if you’re in a leadership position.

“Suppose I started acting silly and playful at work,” Slyvkin adds. “Most likely, people wouldn’t take me seriously.”

“Trying to be completely authentic every moment at work is a risky approach,” agrees James Dale, CEO of SINE Digital, a performance marketing agency.

“You need to understand your own personality and figure out what aspects to bring to your role—and what to leave out—based on the personalities of the people you interact with, including colleagues and clients,” he recommends.

After all, humans are complex, and there are likely parts of your personality you can adjust to fit your environment. For instance, if you’re pitching a modern meat substitute, saying how much you love real meat probably won’t help your case.

That’s why Katleen De Stobbeleir, a leadership professor at Belgium’s esteemed Vlerick Business School, emphasizes the need to distinguish between being authentic and just expressing your emotions or opinions.

“Acting on impulse—like yelling because a comment bothers you—isn’t necessarily authentic,” she says, noting that people who behave this way at work might seem untrustworthy and inconsistent.

“Truly, authenticity means being aware of your values, inner feelings, and personality, while also taking into account the expectations of the situation,” she explained.

That’s why having different versions of yourself is completely normal (and maybe even smart), De Stobbeleir concludes: “Authenticity isn’t about strictly adhering to ‘who you are’; it’s about genuine self-expression within the situation you’re in.”

“There’s the version of you at work; the spouse, parent, friend version … and it’s okay that these different sides of you don’t always align.”

This story was originally published on on July 31, 2024.