Bravery Through Unity: Halla Tómasdóttir

As we approach the 2025 Laidlaw Scholars Conference, where scholars from across the world will gather under the theme of "Brave," we turn our attention to the wisdom of Iceland's President. In a world where individual heroism often dominates our narratives of courage, Halla Tómasdóttir offers us a deeper truth about the nature of bravery itself.

Halla Tómasdóttir: “I’ve seen first hand how courage is a team sport. It grows when we work together, and shrinks when we feel or are all alone.”

As Iceland's President since 2024, Halla Tómasdóttir draws from an extensive background in entrepreneurship, sustainable business practices, and social change leadership. As former CEO of The B Team, she championed sustainable business practices alongside global leaders like Richard Branson and Arianna Huffington. Her journey from entrepreneur to presidential candidate reflects a deep commitment to transforming how we approach leadership in the 21st century. Tómasdóttir co-founded Audur Capital, one of the first investment firms founded and run by women, which weathered Iceland's financial crisis through values-based investing. Her leadership philosophy, forged through decades of breaking barriers in male-dominated industries, emphasises the interconnected nature of courage and community.

Leadership Through Collective Courage

Tómasdóttir's observation challenges our fundamental understanding of what it means to be brave. She recognises courage not as an individual trait but as something inherently social, strengthened by connection and diminished by isolation. This insight suggests that true leadership involves creating the conditions where others can access their own courage. Our capacity for bold action expands when we know we are not standing alone. Her words remind us that the most transformative acts of bravery often emerge from communities of support rather than solitary moments of heroism. 

This perspective aligns with the Laidlaw value of #Brave and the Oxford Character Project virtue of #Courage. #Bravemeans meeting uncertainty with principled action, with attention to those who are affected. #Courage means doing what is right with clarity and persistence, supported by the confidence of others and by an inner moral centre.

 A Call to Reflect

Share in the comments: when have you experienced courage as a team sport, where the presence and support of others enabled a braver choice. What practices helped courage circulate through your group, and what changed as a result.