Atlan Leadership Handbook
A guide to leading when no one's telling you how to lead
How to Use This Handbook
Culture, derived from the word "cult," is about the shared beliefs and practices that make an organisation unique. Consider Facebook and Spotify – two phenomenally successful companies with dramatically different approaches. Facebook's famous "Move Fast and Break Things" mantra embraced rapid shipping and accepted imperfection in service of speed. Meanwhile, Spotify believes that "Talk is Cheap" prefers extensive discussion before building to ensure they create precisely the right thing. Both approaches have built extraordinary companies. Neither is inherently right or wrong.
What makes great companies remarkable isn't their adherence to universal leadership principles – it's their commitment to their unique way of doing things. Every enduring company has something distinct that makes it unique, a core DNA that shapes how they operate and lead.
This handbook captures Atlan's DNA. It's a guide to our way of leading, our way of working, our way of thinking. As an Atlan leader, you are first and foremost a steward of our values and culture. Your role isn't just to deliver results – it's to do so in a way that strengthens and perpetuates what makes Atlan special.
Use this handbook not as a manual for "good leadership" but as a guide to being a great Atlan leader.
What makes great companies remarkable isn't their adherence to universal leadership principles – it's their commitment to their unique way of doing things. Every enduring company has something distinct that makes it unique, a core DNA that shapes how they operate and lead.
This handbook captures Atlan's DNA. It's a guide to our way of leading, our way of working, our way of thinking. As an Atlan leader, you are first and foremost a steward of our values and culture. Your role isn't just to deliver results – it's to do so in a way that strengthens and perpetuates what makes Atlan special.
Use this handbook not as a manual for "good leadership" but as a guide to being a great Atlan leader.
Stewardship Over Ownership
As a leader at Atlan, you're a steward of our culture. As a leader at Atlan, you're a team captain on the field. A great captain doesn't try to rewrite the team's playbook based on their personal style – they embrace the team's established strategy and culture while bringing their own strengths to elevate everyone's game. Their role is to exemplify and reinforce the team's core values while helping each player perform at their best.
A leader’s personal values, experiences, and preferred operating models might not align perfectly with Atlan's – and that's okay. We don't expect or need 100% alignment. Maybe 60-70% of a leader’s natural approaches match ours, while some aspects differ from how they'd instinctively operate. This is normal and healthy.
However, as a steward of Atlan's culture, a leader’s actions must align with Atlan’s values and operating model, even when they differ from personal preferences. It's like how a great aunt might handle situations differently with her nieces and nephews than she would with her own children – not because one way is right and the other wrong, but because she respects and upholds the family's chosen approach.
If you find less than 50% alignment with our values and operating model, this handbook should help you recognize that early. Every company is a tribe, and not every tribe is for everyone. It's better to understand this clearly and find your true tribe than to fight against a company's fundamental nature.
On the other hand, some of you will fall so deeply in love with Atlan's way of operating that it will become part of your DNA, something you carry forward throughout your life. Some of our values might seem different at first, and you might struggle with them, but over time, you might embrace them and realise that it is a value you will carry with you for life. At the end of the day – what matters is that while you're here, you act as a faithful steward of what makes Atlan special.
Remember: Your role isn't to remake Atlan in your image, but to enhance and perpetuate what makes Atlan unique, even when it means operating differently than you might naturally choose.
A leader’s personal values, experiences, and preferred operating models might not align perfectly with Atlan's – and that's okay. We don't expect or need 100% alignment. Maybe 60-70% of a leader’s natural approaches match ours, while some aspects differ from how they'd instinctively operate. This is normal and healthy.
However, as a steward of Atlan's culture, a leader’s actions must align with Atlan’s values and operating model, even when they differ from personal preferences. It's like how a great aunt might handle situations differently with her nieces and nephews than she would with her own children – not because one way is right and the other wrong, but because she respects and upholds the family's chosen approach.
If you find less than 50% alignment with our values and operating model, this handbook should help you recognize that early. Every company is a tribe, and not every tribe is for everyone. It's better to understand this clearly and find your true tribe than to fight against a company's fundamental nature.
On the other hand, some of you will fall so deeply in love with Atlan's way of operating that it will become part of your DNA, something you carry forward throughout your life. Some of our values might seem different at first, and you might struggle with them, but over time, you might embrace them and realise that it is a value you will carry with you for life. At the end of the day – what matters is that while you're here, you act as a faithful steward of what makes Atlan special.
Remember: Your role isn't to remake Atlan in your image, but to enhance and perpetuate what makes Atlan unique, even when it means operating differently than you might naturally choose.
Your First Reality Check
Leadership at Atlan isn't what you might expect. It's not about titles, hierarchy, or conventional notions of management. It's about a deep commitment to a larger mission than any individual or team. It is not power or influence but a responsibility - so it needs commitment.
Before we dive deeper, let's address the fundamental question: Why does Atlan exist?
Our mission is to help the humans of data (and AI) do their life's best work.
This isn't just a mission statement that hangs on our walls. It's a responsibility we carry every day. It shapes our decisions, guides our priorities, and defines our measure of success.
Before we dive deeper, let's address the fundamental question: Why does Atlan exist?
Our mission is to help the humans of data (and AI) do their life's best work.
This isn't just a mission statement that hangs on our walls. It's a responsibility we carry every day. It shapes our decisions, guides our priorities, and defines our measure of success.
Only Hierarchy That Matters
At Atlan, we operate with a single, uncompromising hierarchy: Customer > Company > Team > Me
This hierarchy isn't just a nice idea – it's the framework for every decision we make. It's easy to nod along with these words. It's much harder to live them when they challenge your comfort, preferences, or personal goals. This handbook is structured to help you operationalise this hierarchy day-to-day.
This hierarchy isn't just a nice idea – it's the framework for every decision we make. It's easy to nod along with these words. It's much harder to live them when they challenge your comfort, preferences, or personal goals. This handbook is structured to help you operationalise this hierarchy day-to-day.