Courage and  Optimism

Optimism is the Fuel for Courage
by Victor Perton

Optimism provides a foundation for courage by giving a sense of hope, belief in the future, resilience, and determination. These qualities can help a person face difficult challenges and confidently take bold action. 

Optimism is the expectation that good things will happen and that everything will work out in the end. It’s a mindset that fosters persistence, resilience, and a positive outlook on life and future possibilities. Courage, meanwhile, is the capacity to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. It involves taking brave actions despite adversity, driven by conviction in one's goals and beliefs. Optimism is a powerful tool that can help us overcome adversity and take courageous actions.

Ernest Shackleton famously stated, "Optimism is true moral courage."  

My friend Denise Avchen echoed this sentiment, asserting that "optimism and courage are synonymous, beautiful, and essential to life," emphasizing how optimism fuels the courage to take risks and drive change. Melissa Thorpe Sidebotham added that "optimism illuminates new paths and gives you and others the courage to explore them," highlighting how a hopeful perspective can lead to innovative and bold actions.

Sally James further articulated this connection by stating that optimism "is what gives us the courage to face each day, and believe that, even if all we do is bring a smile to a sad face, a note of cheer to someone who is struggling, then nothing is wasted."

Tracy McLeod Howe supports this notion, emphasising the role of "persistent optimism" in advocacy and social change, driving efforts forward even when faced with setbacks ​.

Guillermo del Toro aptly described optimism as a radical choice requiring courage and vulnerability, especially in the face of despair. He said, "Optimism is radical. It is the hard choice, the brave choice. And it is, it seems to me, most needed now, in the face of despair"​ .

This radical optimism fosters a belief in positive outcomes and instils the courage required to navigate and overcome life's obstacles, proving essential in both personal growth and leadership. This connection between optimism and courage is not just a theory but a practical guide for those who aspire to grow and lead.

Courageous optimism? What's that? Korn Ferry's Andrés T. Tapia, in his acceptance speech for the Leadership Greater Chicago 2023 Distinguished Service Award, defines it as an optimism that faces the grim with grit. It sees people and organizations not by their deficits but by their assets. It is grounded in confidence that, while the right answer may not be known yet, it will be found together. Courageous optimism is driven by curiosity and the value seen in others. It does not wait for the right time but makes the right time happen. Tapia emphasizes that this form of optimism is essential and has the power to transform and create a better world.

Dr John Blakey also highlighted the bravery needed for optimism in his work "Optimism is True Moral Courage: How do you make it catchy?" He stated, "It takes courage to be an optimist because it takes courage to fail. It takes courage to be wrong. It takes courage to be unlucky. It takes courage to have a go. Much easier to drift into the background and shelter in cynicism, negativity, and despair."

By maintaining an optimistic mindset, individuals and leaders can harness the courage needed to drive transformation and achieve their goals, demonstrating that optimism and courage are the bedrock of progress and success.

Denise Avchen, Environmental Research Advocates

"Optimism is the grease in the wheels of progress. It’s what enables us to move forward with all personal, professional or societal change. It’s the element needed to make dreams come true. In my mind, optimism and courage are synonymous, beautiful and essential to life."

Melissa Thorpe Sidebotham

"Optimism illuminates new paths and gives you and others the courage to explore them."

Sally James, Author

“Some people are optimistic the sun will come out when deluged with rain; others that there will be rain when the ground is parched; and some that there will be snow just because of its simple beauty. We all have different reasons for having optimism, and sometimes finding it requires greater effort than others. Optimism is what is there waiting for us to dig from sometimes the deepest depths within us enabling us to rise with hope each new day when faced with hopelessness. It is what gives us courage to face each day, and believe that, even if all we do is bring a smile to a sad face, a note of cheer to someone who is struggling, then nothing is wasted.  Optimism is believing that life can always be better, that, when facing a wall too high to climb, there will be a door to find.  Optimism is allowing ourselves to be nourished by the contributions of those around us, that there is always room to grow and improve, and that if we believe that goodness is what pervades our hearts and actions, then we will conquer adversity.”

Rita Wirtz in "Stories From a Teacher's Heart"

"It is imperative we remain optimistic and not give in to fear, to share our moral courage and recognize together is better.” 

Dr John Blakey in "Optimism is True Moral Courage: How do you make it catchy?"

"It takes courage to be an optimist because it takes courage to fail. It takes courage to be wrong. It takes courage to be unlucky. It takes courage to have a go. Much easier to drift into the background and shelter in cynicism, negativity and despair."

Mercadees Hempel in "Optimism: a form of courage in a world of uncertainty and fear"

"What will fix problems is the motivation and persistence that optimists clearly have. Optimism is not about being ignorant, avoiding facts or being naïve. It is about seeing the world for what it is and saying, “I can do better. Everyone can do better. There is a chance, and it will all work out.”  This form of courage makes change not only possible, but practical."

Jeremiah Patterson, Gladstone School District Superintendent

“Helping people hold on to the sense of optimism that got them into it (teaching) is really important. I don't know where I picked it up; somewhere I’ve stolen the phrase that ‘optimism is courage’ and I really feel as though it takes holding on to optimism to sustain a career in schools.” (June 2024)

Courageous Optimism

Korn Ferry's Andrés T. Tapia in his acceptance speech for the Leadership Greater Chicago 2023 Distinguished Service Award at the Celebrate Leaders event argued "courageous optimism" would save the world.

"what is courageous optimism? In our work at Korn Ferry on what inclusive leadership looks like (what it takes both in our inner selves and in our actions) this is what we have learned about this particular quality:

• Courageous optimism is not clueless. Rather it’s an optimism that faces the grim with grit.
• Courageous optimism sees people, teams, organizations, and cities not by what they don’t have, but rather as brimming with the assets that they do have.
• Courageous optimism is grounded by confidence that while we may not know the right answer yet, that we will together get to the best answer.
• Courageous optimism is fueled by a curiosity of learning about those around us. That the more we learn about them and their assets the greater our hope that we can face the storm. And build for a better tomorrow.
• Courageous optimism looks at people and says: I see you. I value you. We need you.
• Courageous optimism -- for the many of us who have had near-death experiences, in my case on a sunny morning on the 4th of July -- that because we are still here, means we know there is much we can still do to keep transforming the world.
• Courageous optimism, however, does not wait till the right time, rather it makes the right time happen.

The Dalai Lama speaking at the Compassionate Leadership Summit in October 2022 

“Knowledge gives us courage. If we had only one life, we might well feel demoralized, but the idea of leading many lives brings me optimism. Buddhist traditions have many techniques for training the mind so there’s no need to feel disheartened."

Pope Francis speaking in Assisi at "The Economy of Francesco

"According to Scripture, young people are the bearers of a spirit of knowledge and intelligence. It was the young David who humbled the arrogance of the giant Goliath (cf 1 Sam 17: 49-51). Indeed, "when civil society and businesses lack the skills of the young, the whole of society withers and the life of everyone is extinguished. There is a lack of creativity, optimism, enthusiasm, and courage to take risks. A society and an economy without young people are sad, pessimistic and cynical."

Nicholas M. Butler

"Optimism is the foundation of courage."

Kathleen Porter-Magee in "3 lessons in transformational leadership", writing about the leadership of Jill Kafka

"When negativity is currency, optimism and courage are everything.

Aneil Mishra in "It takes courage and humility to empower new talent."

A "connection exists between courage and hope, which is the emotion that reinforces the thinking that optimism represents. Together, a leader’s optimism and hope helps inspire followers to work together to achieve the future."