Our Leadership Principles are challenging and apply to each and every one of us as a leader. These principles are inspired by Amazon’s Leadership Principles, but we even raise the bar here. And this is what makes us special and sets us apart.
We are Cloudical!
1. Be Open and Tolerant
Leaders are open and tolerant to each other. We value and appreciate our differences. Leaders tolerate different opinions as long as they are covered by law and fundamental principles of humanity. Leaders are open to their fellow colleagues, are open to discussing and are open to diversity.
2. Be open minded
Leaders are open-minded in regards to technology and innovations. Leaders appreciate new directions and approaches, as well as they are compatible with our values and leadership principles. Leaders do not rely on “we always did it that way”.
3. Unite technology with humanity and ecology
Leaders are always trying to unite humanity and ecology with technology. Leaders embrace humanity and preserve resources.
4. Learn and Understand
Leaders always strive to learn and understand. Leaders accept life as a never-ending learning approach and appreciate this. Leaders discuss their understandings with their team and their partners. Leaders accept their feedback and try to improve upon this.
5. Develop and Share Knowledge
Leaders understand knowledge as the core of our company. They understand knowledge as a combination of learned facts, approaches, technologies, customer interactions, errors made and practical experiences. Leaders actively develop this knowledge and openly share it with their team, our organization, our partners and customers.
6. Try, fail and improve
Leaders always try to improve upon errors and failures. Leaders understand the necessary steps to improve and accept errors and failures to happen. They allow for try-and-fail-fast approaches, as long as the impact is foreseeable, manageable and provides added value in terms of knowledge and processes.
7. Dive deep and shape the context
Leaders want to understand and want to make a difference. Therefore they dive deep into technologies, processes and approaches and actively work with them. Leaders are drivers, not passengers.
8. Insist on the highest standards, always
Leaders insist on the highest standards in everything they do and always strive to increase these standards. Leaders do not send issues down the line, Leaders solve and fix them, so they stay fixed. Our standards might seem unreasonably high and relentless, but leaders understand these standards as necessary to improve. Leaders do not value any kind of comfort zone.
9. 100% customer obsession
Leaders always start with the customer and work backward from there. Leaders actively strive for our customers’ success, even if this implies disagreement with proposed solutions, processes and approaches as well as in-depth discussions. Leaders do everything to earn and deserve our customers’ trust.
10. Take Ownership and responsibility
Leaders understand ownership and responsibility as core principles. Leaders never say “this is not my job”, they actively take ownership. Leaders understand themselves as owners, they act on behalf of the entire company, beyond their own responsibility and their teams’ interests. Leaders think long-term and do not sacrifice long-term value for short-term results.
11. Expect Creativity, Invention & Simplification
Leaders think creatively about problems, approaches, and processes. Leaders expect innovation and invention from themselves and their teams. Leaders actively think out of the box, are aware of new ideas and do not reject ideas. Leaders always simplify things. Leaders invent and do new things, thus they accept being misunderstood for what they do for a long time.
12. Decide, Act & Iterate
Leaders decide and act on things. Leaders understand the need for action, they understand the need to start the journey. Leaders work iteratively and try to improve on every iteration.
13. Bias for Action
Speed matters in business and technology. Many, not most, actions are reversible and do not require extensive upfront research and studies. Leadership value action over risk and value.
14. Deliver Results
Leaders deliver results. They identify key inputs and parameters for their business and generate results in exceptional quality and in time. Despite issues and setbacks, they accept the challenge, rise on the occasion and never settle.
15. Hire & Develop the Best
Leaders raise the bar with every hiring and promotion. They recognize, hire and promote the talents and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop talents and take their role in developing them seriously. Leaders want to hire and develop bright minds instead of passive followers.
16. Think Big
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate broader visions that inspire creativity and deliver results. Leaders think outside the box and want to go the extra mile for delivering outstanding results and achieving success.
17. Have Backbone, Disagree & Commit
Leadership decisions in a respectful way if they do not agree with them, even if doing so might be uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is made, they commit wholly.
18. Insist on Frugality & Attentiveness
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.
19. Earn and Deserve Trust
Speak attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe they or their team to be infallible or error-prone. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.
20. Be humble
Leaders are humble. Leaders understand they are nothing without their team. Leaders value team and culture over personal success. Leaders do not care about color, race or gender, leaders care about the human being.