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Amazon VP: "People won't like to hear this"

@ryanlpeterman

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Why it worked

The video likely resonated because it addresses a common, uncomfortable truth about workplace promotions and leadership decisions. The 'Amazon VP' title and the candid, almost controversial statement in the hook create intrigue, while the relatable scenario of employee dynamics and the leader's honest, albeit potentially unpopular, perspective likely drove engagement.

Summary

An ex-Amazon VP discusses the difficult decisions leaders face when promoting employees. He explains that often, the more assertive employee gets the promotion, even if the other is more qualified or a better team player, due to the leader's need to address short-term problems and limited promotion opportunities.

Structure

1Introduction of the dilemma: two equally qualified employees
2One employee is assertive, the other is patient
3The leader's difficult choice and the reality of promotions
4The perception of rewarding the 'jerk' vs. the 'nice person'
5The leader's admission of pragmatic decision-making
6The conclusion that this is the reality, even if unpopular

Product placement

Amazon VP: This is the title of the video and refers to a former executive at Amazon. It acts as context for the discussion, and removing it would change the topic of the video. It merely appears.

On-screen text

Original caption

Amazon VP: "People won't like to hear this" ⠀ Ethan Evans (Ex-Amazon VP): “As a leader, people won't like to hear this. There have been times where I've had two equally qualified people on my team or approximately equal, and one of them is agitating for the promotion and threatening to leave, and the other is a nice person who's willing to wait. ⠀ And so they wait. And a lot of people say, well, you just rewarded the jerk. Maybe, but I had a triage. ⠀ I'm going to get one promotion done this quarter or this year because it takes work and you only need so many leaders at the next level. ⠀ And I have a very realistic choice of move up this person and keep them even though I'm a little bit being held hostage, or move up this person and lose the other one. ⠀ I'd like to tell you I always did the right thing and helped the team player, but I can't actually tell you that's true. And I certainly wouldn't tell you other leaders do that because we have to think about our short-term problems to some degree, and it's not a perfect world. ⠀ And so, yeah, if you're that person who's expecting to be rewarded because you're the silent hard worker who's always collaborative, maybe you dislike me for it and you're like, well, you sound like a bad boss. ⠀ I'm actually willing to tell you the truth and tell you that almost everyone's doing what I'm doing. They're just not telling you. So I don't know. ⠀ Bad, good. It's the reality.” ⠀ For the full conversation, you can search Ethan Evans on my YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts (link in bio)