--- title: "Dementia Australia: The Case for Optimism with CEO Maree McCabe" description: "Dementia Australia's CEO Maree McCabe says \"Optimism is something that people look for in leaders.\"" image: https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Idea%20exchange%20concept.%20Ideas%20agreement%20Investing%20in%20business%20innovation%20and%20financial%20commerce%20backing%20of%20creativity.%20Open%20lightbulb%20icon%20with%20gear%20mechanisms.%20Funding%20potential%20innovative%20growth.jpeg --- ###### [Check out Our latest insights on Optimism](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog) [![Centre for Optimism_Logo](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Centre%20for%20Optimism_Logo.svg)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://www.centreforoptimism.com) - [Subscribe](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/subscribe) - [Why Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whyoptimism) - [What is Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whatisoptimism) - [The Optimism Principle](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/theoptimismprinciple) - [Need Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/services-and-workshops) - [The Optimism Workshop](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/workshop) - [Victor Perton - That Optimism Man](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/victorperton) - [Magnetic Optimism for Organisations](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/magnetic-optimism-workshops) ![Close Icon (3)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Close%20Icon%20(3).svg) ![Search (2)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Search%20(2).svg) ###### [Leadership](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/leadership) , ###### [Hour of Optimism](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/hour-of-optimism) , ###### [Video](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/video) , ###### [Optimism Cafe](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/optimism-cafe) , ###### [Australian Leadership](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/australian-leadership) , ###### [Dementia](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/dementia) # Dementia Australia: The Case for Optimism with CEO Maree McCabe "Optimism is something that people look for in leaders. Leadership is not designated in the title, but if you declare that you are a leader, then people expect you to be optimistic and to be able to provide leadership and a vision and some possibility at a time like this when everything's looking bleak, said Maree McCabe. Apr 8, 2020 Dementia? Optimism? Dementia Australia's CEO Maree McCabe shares her optimism with Victor Perton, COO at The Centre for Optimism.   Dementia Australia represents the 459,000 Australians living with dementia and the almost 1.6 million Australians involved in their care. Victor asked Maree: What makes you optimistic? Maree said, "I'd never thought much about optimism before this conversation, but your question made me think. "Optimism is a choice. "It's a created phenomenon.  "In the face of all of the emotions that we have, particularly during this moment in a pandemic where we're all feeling confused, scared, fearful, we might feel upset, angry, sad; all sorts of feelings are affecting us today. "What makes me optimistic is that it's a choice that I can have all of those feelings, and I can choose how I am, and it's a way of being. "Optimism is something that people look for in leaders. Leadership is not designated in the title, but if you declare that you are a leader, then people expect you to be optimistic and to be able to provide leadership and a vision and some possibility at a time like this when everything's looking bleak." 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