What can Irish leadership teach the world about resilience, ambition and human connection?

In the latest episode of ‘The Leadership Atlas’, Professor Orla Feely, President of University College Dublin, reflects on an idea deeply rooted in Irish culture: ‘craic’.

Often associated with humour or entertainment, ‘craic’ is also about something more profound, a sense of atmosphere, ease, connection and shared energy that helps people endure difficult moments together while still moving forward with optimism and determination.

That spirit runs throughout this conversation. In discussing leadership in universities and in society more broadly, Professor Feely reflects on a distinctly Irish approach to resilience: communities pulling together, maintaining perspective through humour, and continuing forward even in periods of uncertainty or constraint.

Referencing Irish writer Samuel Beckett, she captures this mindset through one of Ireland’s most famous lines: “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.”

The episode explores how this approach has shaped both Ireland and Irish higher education, from periods of economic hardship to moments of transformation and renewal.

At the institutional level, the conversation explores how these same values shape leadership within University College Dublin:

• Leadership grounded in calmness, judgement and optimism
• Building belonging in a university community of 40,000 students
• The importance of humour and humanity in difficult times
• Why meaningful partnerships are built through trust and long-term relationships
• How resilience is strengthened through community

Professor Feely also discusses the idea of “grounded optimism”, balancing ambition and enthusiasm with realism, clarity and visible progress:

“The ability to project confidence, conviction, calmness and clarity, these are all important in sustaining ambition over time.”

This episode comes as University College Dublin prepares to celebrate 20 years as a member of the Universitas 21 network, marking two decades of global collaboration, partnership and shared learning across the international higher education community.