Situational Background

Scott Farquhar, Atlassian co-founder and co-CEO, is a measured, systems-focused leader who turns values into everyday mechanisms. He prefers calm accountability, simple metrics, and written clarity. Farquhar invests in people, platforms, and durability over flash. Distinctive for steady stewardship and operational kindness, he shows how structure, transparency, and respect compound across any team.

Practical Leadership Principles

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1) Values as mechanisms.

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Make principles actionable.

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Behaviours to model:

• Tie goals and rewards to behaviours.
• Document decisions with trade-offs.
• Retire work that conflicts with values.

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2) Calm accountability.

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Exacting and fair.

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Behaviours to model:

• Set clear “done” criteria.
• Give direct, timely feedback.
• Share outcomes openly.

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3) Invest through cycles.

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Think long-term; avoid whiplash.

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Behaviours to model:

• Protect one long-horizon capability.
• Keep a steady review cadence.
• Adjust, don’t lurch.

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Call to action

Write the behaviour linked to each goal, confirm one long-term investment you’ll protect, and publish a short outcomes report.

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