Evans: Corporate politics is people pursuing self-interest, not personal attacks
Ethan Evans · Ex-Amazon VP: Lessons from Working with Jeff Bezos that Changed My Life | Ethan Evans · Jun 3, 2026 · at 1:25
Former Amazon VP Ethan Evans discusses how professionals should reframe and understand office politics.
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“The thing I wish I had known most about what's been called corporate politics is it's just other people trying to get ahead. Like they're just starting with what do they need and what do they want? And sometimes if you're in their way, it's not personal. They don't even notice. It's just your accidental roadkill. Sometimes it's intentional. So one thing I wish I had known is just figure out what other people's motives are. And that doesn't mean they have like a hidden or deep or dark motive. Just sometimes their motives don't align with yours.”
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