The "Scale and Learning" are gone—only the bureaucracy and layoffs remain. - Anonymous employee Amazon Employee Review

Over the last few years, the foundational leadership principles have been severely eroded. What was once a meritocratic grind has shifted into a highly political environment dominated by quarterly layoffs, stagnant compensation, and an increasingly convoluted and adversarial stack-ranking system (on top of downsizing). The rigid RTO monitoring and an increasingly obstructive HR apparatus have stripped leaders of their autonomy. Even when teams consistently deliver and exceed goals, micro-management from sr. leaders and corporate red tape prevent genuine leadership, innovation and talent retention. You are left with bottom of the barrel political leaders with no vision, and bottom of the barrel talent.