After 100+ Amazon interviews as a Bar Raiser, I can tell you: "Are Right, A Lot" trips up more candidates than almost any other Behavioral Interview question.
Most people hear the name and think: "I need to prove I'm always correct."
Wrong.
While this is a key tenet at Amazon, it frequently comes up in most Director-level and higher interviews, either explicitly or implicitly.
Being right isn't about ego or IQ; it's about judgment, decision quality, and learning from mistakes.
As Ethan Evans (former Amazon VP) puts it: "You're not right because you're always correct. You're right because you have a process for becoming more correct over time."
This topic was the hardest to screen for and arguably the most important. Because you can't rehearse judgment. You either have the instincts, or you don't.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿
✅ Makes good decisions under ambiguity and time pressure
✅ Seeks out diverse perspectives before deciding
✅ Recognizes when they're wrong and course-corrects
✅ Admits gaps in expertise and asks for help
✅ Revisits assumptions as conditions change
❌ Pushes their own idea instead of seeking the best solution
❌ Has analysis paralysis, can't commit under uncertainty
❌ Displays "I told you so" energy when leadership disagrees
❌ Abandons sound strategy, chasing the next quick win
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂
• "Tell me about a time you made a decision with incomplete data."
• "Describe a situation where you changed your mind based on someone else's input."
• "Walk me through a decision you got wrong and what you did next."If you freeze on these, you're not ready!
🔧 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗽
Write 2–3 "Are Right, A Lot" stories using STAR. Include at least one where:
• You were wrong
• You course-corrected
• The system got better because of you
Don't just say what you decided, show how you thought:
❌ "I made the call to pivot our strategy."
✅ "I weighed two options, speed vs. accuracy. I consulted with the data team, pressure-tested my assumptions, and chose speed. It worked, but I also built a feedback loop so we'd catch errors faster next time."
The difference? One shows a decision. The other shows judgment.
💡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵
If you can't clearly explain how you make high-quality decisions, learn from wrong calls, and evolve your judgment, you will not pass behavioral interviews at Amazon or any bar-raiser-driven company.
The candidates who get hired aren't the ones who are never wrong.
They're the ones who get smarter every time they are.
💬 What's a decision you got wrong that made you a better leader?
💥 I'm Howard — an executive coach (and former Amazon Bar Raiser) helping high-achieving professionals navigate what's next.
🔔 Ring my profile for more.