Home Affairs Department boss Michael Pezzullo wants his top-ranking staff to counter claims the agency is a "behemoth" threatening personal freedom, telling them to promote its work without resorting to "spin".
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In a 1900-word letter to senior public servants the secretary also urged them to be "especially attentive" to the rule of law, warning the department's reputation could be changed in a "highly contested space" that could let others wrongly define the newly-created agency.
Mr Pezzullo's letter, first reported by Crikey, comes after he mounted public defences of the department against claims its creation concentrated too much power and added another layer of bureaucracy.
He has also previously made the case for the massive machinery of government change that created Home Affairs in a wide-ranging, sometimes colourful public speech drawing on The Lord of the Rings and AC/DC lyrics, saying the new department would protect Australia in a world of globalised security threats.
The Home Affairs Department was created in December despite criticisms of the security shake-up and initial resistance within the Coalition government.
Mr Pezzullo, the inaugural Home Affairs secretary, told senior public servants the agency's reputation depended on its actions and how the public saw its values.
"It is not a function of communications plans and media management, although those aid in the management of reputation," he said.
"Look for opportunities to authentically promote what we do, and to build confidence, without 'spin'.
"I would ask that you are especially attentive to the rule of law, and the oversight of the functions that we perform."
Mr Pezzullo, a keen student of military history and philosophy, outlined his "general leadership philosophy" warning his senior staff against cynicism and negativity, and urging them to draw on lessons from the past.
"Knowledge of history, in its fullest sense, will give you a broad perspective, especially during what you might feel to be 'the darkest hour' – except, it almost most certainly will not be," he wrote.
"History will be your lamp on these occasions, illuminating past episodes and rhythms which will suggest that we have faced similar challenges before now, and will do so again until the end of time."
Mr Pezzullo urged senior executives to be "personally well organised and prepared", to avoid perceived or real conflicts of interest, to have no tolerance for bullying or harassment, and to avoid delaying decision making.
"Be wary of debate which becomes a veil for indecision," he said.
"Disorganisation and a lack of appropriate attention to detail are signs of disrespect. Others rely on your attention, focus and decisions, so that they can do their jobs."
Mr Pezzullo said his letter would be the basis for any discussions he might have with recipients about their successes, and mistakes, which he said would be "hopefully rare" but inevitable.
"Failure is a part of the human condition. Leaders aim to make failure rare, relatively inconsequential and recoverable," he said.
"Should a discussion regarding failure have to occur, it will revolve around an explanation of how that eventuality came about, and whether it was managed in accordance with the leadership philosophy that I have set it out in this letter."
The Home Affairs portfolio employs about 23,000 public servants across its security, immigration and intelligence outfits after ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and other agencies joins its ranks.
