Jeff Bezos’ 6 Meeting Rules

Jeff Bezos introduced a few simple rules that completely changed how decisions were made.

And they’re still relevant for every organisation today.

1️⃣ The Two-Pizza Rule
If two pizzas can’t feed the group, the meeting is too big.
Smaller groups lead to faster decisions, clearer conversations, and higher accountability.

2️⃣ No PowerPoint
Instead of slides, use written narratives.
This forces deeper thinking and prevents ideas from hiding behind bullet points.

3️⃣ Start with Silence
Begin meetings with 15–20 minutes of silent reading.
Everyone starts on the same page. No excuses. No surface-level discussions.

4️⃣ Leave an Empty Chair
That chair represents the customer.
It keeps conversations grounded in real impact, not internal politics.

5️⃣ Encourage Disagreement, Then Commit
Healthy debate is encouraged.
Once a decision is made, everyone aligns & executes fully.

6️⃣ End with Clear Ownership
Every meeting must end with action items and owners.
No ambiguity. No dropped balls.

What I often tell leaders is this:
× Meetings are not a calendar problem.
✓ They are a leadership problem.

When meetings have clarity, purpose, and ownership, teams move faster without working longer hours.

If most of your meetings feel draining, the solution isn’t fewer meetings. It’s better ones.

📌 Which of these rules do you think would make the biggest difference in your organisation today?