After the resignation of its charismatic leader Jeff Bezos, Amazon faces a crossroads: it must either refocus or else retreat to mediocrity.

In finding and using new growth properly in a recession, a company needs to focus on its customers, look ahead to the long term and make profitable innovations. Amazon’s 26 years of sustained growth confirms that these principles work firmly in both growth and decline.

The CEOs of the best companies grow inside the company because they know the field very well and make more profitable investments in innovation.