Recently, Amazon’s devices division sent an internal memo in the wake of significant layoffs. According to reporting by Business Insider, the memo came from Tapas Roy, Vice President of Device Software & Services. It noted that roles in the OS & Services team were being eliminated and urged remaining employees to “lean in on AI” — specifically: focus on the work that most directly impacts customers, simplify or eliminate internal processes, and use AI to enhance effectiveness.

Earlier in mid-2025, Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy warned that the adoption of generative AI and autonomous agents would likely reduce the size of the company’s corporate workforce in the coming years.

At the same time, Amazon announced plans to cut around 14,000 corporate jobs — described as roughly 4% of its corporate workforce — as it shifts more aggressively into AI, automation and cost-cutting.

The Amazon memo frames this as part of a push to become leaner, more efficient, and more customer-centric, powered by AI.

What small business owners should take away

If you run a small business, this story holds several implications. Here are key takeaways before we dig into how to apply them.

Key takeaways

• AI is not just a futuristic option — large firms are already treating it as a strategic lever to shift how work gets done.
• Encouraging employees to “lean in” on AI can be positive, but it also carries risk if not handled with empathy and clarity.
• Efficiency and profitability matter — but not at the cost of team morale, trust or clarity of purpose.
• You do not need to mimic a giant like Amazon; you can adapt the idea of leveraging AI tools in a scaled-appropriate way.
• Communication and training matter: asking your team to adopt AI means supporting them to do so well.

Should you tell your workers to “lean in on AI”?

Empathy and leadership matter

When you invite your team to adopt AI, you’re asking them to shift how they work. That can feel unsettling.
As Amazon’s internal messages suggest, employees may worry: Does “lean in” mean “your job is less safe”?

As a small business owner you want to be clear: adopting AI is about empowering the team and improving capability, not signaling they’ll be replaced. Frame it as: “We’re investing in tools so you can be more productive, more creative, less bogged down by repetitive tasks.”

Profitability and efficiency are valid

Your business needs to make money, grow, and sustain operations. Using AI to automate or streamline work makes commercial sense. Big firms like Amazon are doing it because they expect “efficiency gains” from AI.

For a small business that means: If you can use AI to reduce manual work, free up your employees to focus on higher-value tasks (e.g., customer relationships, innovation, strategy) then you are investing in both profitability and your people’s growth.

Avoid the “we’ll do more with less” trap

A caution from the Amazon story: Some employees interpreted the push to use AI as a signal to “do more with fewer people.”

For your small business, you don’t want your team interpreting your invitation to adopt AI as “we expect more output, same resources, less support.” Instead:

• Be transparent about the purpose of AI adoption (e.g., “We want to remove low-value work”).
• Provide training to help them feel confident with the technology.
• Monitor workload to ensure they’re not simply being spun faster without support.

Practical steps for small business leaders

Here are actionable ways to implement an “lean-in on AI” mindset, thoughtfully:

1. Conduct a tool audit

Review your current workflows. What tasks are repetitive, low-impact, time-consuming?
Where could AI help? (e.g., automating email responses, summarizing reports, generating first drafts of content, scheduling)
Then identify one or two AI tools your team can test.

2. Communicate purpose, not just demand

Have a team meeting. Explain: “We’re exploring AI to help us work smarter, not harder. We value your talent and want to give you better tools.”
Invite questions: “What tasks frustrate you? Where do you see time wasted?”
Use this as a co-design opportunity.

3. Invest in training and support

Provide resources: short tutorials, peer-sharing sessions, time to experiment.
Ensure “lean in” doesn’t feel like “figure this out yourself.”
Set up check-ins: “How is the tool helping you? What issues are you seeing?”
Celebrate wins: “Here’s how AI freed up two hours of admin time this week for Jane—she can now spend more time with clients.”

4. Re-align roles and value

When AI takes care of certain tasks, shift your role expectations accordingly.
If your team member was spending much of their time doing X, and AI now handles X, ask: “What higher-impact work will you now focus on?”
This reinforces that people matter, even as technology changes the work.

5. Monitor metrics and morale

Track both productivity (are you actually saving time or money?) and team sentiment (are people comfortable, engaged, empowered?).
If efficiency rises but morale drops, you’ve missed something.

6. Be mindful of scale

You’re a small business — you don’t need to replicate Amazon’s speed or scale of change.
Pick manageable pilots. Measure outcomes. Expand slowly.
You’ll avoid disruption and build confidence.

Final thoughts

Telling your team to lean in on AI can be a smart move. It signals you’re committed to innovation, efficiency, and staying competitive. But it must be done with empathy, clarity, and a real commitment to the human side of your business.

For small business owners and entrepreneurs, the lesson from Amazon is: AI isn’t optional anymore. However, how you bring your team along matters just as much as the technology itself. Use this moment to equip your people with new tools, reframe work for better impact, and build a more future-ready business — without sacrificing the trust and culture you’ve worked so hard to create.