I quit Amazon after being assigned 21 direct reports and burning out. I worry about the decision to flatten its hierarchy.

Yvonne Lee-Hawkins

• Yvonne Lee-Hawkins left Amazon after struggling to manage 21 direct reports.
• Even as an experienced manager, she felt overwhelmed by the lack of time she had with her team.
• Despite learning effective communication, the workload affected her health and job satisfaction.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Yvonne Lee-Hawkins...