Optimism is radical
Optimism is radical. Not toxic positivity, nor the clever cynicism that never gets things built - but the disciplined, realistic kind that actually gets things done.
The problem
We’ll all have worked with a relentlessly upbeat manager who won't admit anything's on fire - they’re kind and and there's the clever colleague with an articulate reason why nothing will work. One feels kind. One feels smart. Neither gets you anywhere.
This is about the third way. Realistic optimism. An honest look at how things actually are, a disciplined belief they can get better, and the practical action to close the gap. It's the most effective stance I know for leading yourself, your team and your organisation, and there's a good deal of evidence on its side.
What you’ll find here
Free tools
Tools you can use this week. Worksheets, reframes and diagnostics pulled straight from the book I'm writing.
The podcast
The podcast where I will be talking to people doing real transformation work about what optimism looks like in practice.
The book
The book, coming in early 2027, and the chance to help shape it before it's finished.
Director-level leader, public sector · Executive coach (EMCC accredited) · MBA, leadership and change · Writer and conference speaker · Accessibility practitioner (CPACC)
Why listen to me?
I've spent twenty years inside large, sclerotic organisations trying to make things genuinely better, usually in the least optimistic conditions you can imagine. I ran a national community COVID testing service through the pandemic. Years earlier, at the Treasury, I helped keep major UK banks standing through the financial crisis. I've built a government department's digital function from scratch, and I'm now I’m working on some of the knottiest transformation challenges in central Government as a consultant as a Digital Transformation Director for Public Digital.
So when I tell you optimism is the hard-nosed, results-driving choice rather than the soft one, you can believe me. You can’t deliver that sort of impact with either wishful thinking or cynicism. Realistic optimism is something I’ve seen work time and time again in the hardest of circumstances.