#2 Dreams, Risks, and Resilience - Kipling’s If and the Courage to Build a Better Way

"If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;"

In the first article of this small series, I explored the opening lines of Rudyard Kipling’s If, reflecting on the importance of staying calm under pressure, trusting in a vision, and maintaining integrity in the face of challenges. These lessons have been instrumental in shaping my work and guiding the vision for an integrated system of health, care, and housing—a vision I’ve pursued since 1998.

The second verse of If builds on this foundation, offering wisdom about balance and resilience in leadership. It reminds us of the need to dream boldly but remain grounded, to take action without letting fear or perfectionism hold us back, and to handle success and failure with grace. For me, this verse speaks directly to the complexities of health care reform, where the stakes are high, the outcomes uncertain, and the journey anything but straightforward.

Dreaming Boldly, But Staying Grounded

“If you can dream—and not make dreams your master…” Kipling’s words capture a truth I’ve learned through experience! Vision is vital, but it must be tempered with practicality. When I first imagined a fully integrated system of health, care, and housing, the dream was clear. I could see how it would break down system silos, simplify data access, and provide individuals with the dignity of holistic care. But I quickly realised that pursuing this vision required more than just holding onto the dream—it demanded adaptability, patience, and the willingness to revise the plan when reality called for it.

At Archangel, we’ve learned to treat our vision not as an unchangeable endpoint, but as a guiding star. While the goal remains constant, the path evolves. Some ideas have worked beautifully, while others required re-evaluation. By staying grounded and open to new approaches, we’ve kept moving forward without being paralysed by perfectionism nor overly attached to a single solution.

Thinking Big, Acting Boldly

“If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim…” This line is a reminder that while strategic thinking is crucial, true progress comes from action. Reforming systems as complex as health care and housing requires bold decisions and calculated risks. Without action, even the best ideas remain just that—ideas.? We can all give examples of ‘talking shops’ and ‘pilots’ that are big, and bold in statement, but in reality delivered very little in terms of outcomes; or so we thought!

The risks we’ve taken in pursuing integration have not always yielded immediate success. There have been times when initiatives fell short of their potential or faced resistance we didn’t anticipate. But every step, even the missteps, has brought us closer to understanding what’s needed. Taking thoughtful risks has allowed us to pilot new models, forge partnerships, and discover innovative solutions. At Archangel, we’ve embraced the belief that failure is not the opposite of success—it’s a necessary part of the transformation process.

Success and Failure: Two Impostors

“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same…” Perhaps no advice is more relevant to the work of health and care reform than this. Successes can be fleeting, and failures often hold the seeds of future breakthroughs. In both cases, staying steady is key.

I’ve experienced moments that felt like triumphs—securing funding, developing a new product, launching new projects, or gaining buy-in from key stakeholders—only to discover new layers of complexity that tempered the initial excitement. Conversely, there have been setbacks (and commercial reality) that initially seemed like disasters but ultimately provided deeper insights and reset to better approaches. For example, an early (1998) vision/proposal to utilise mobile technology within an integrated housing and care service was met with scepticism (actually the Councillor scoffed and said that it would never happen!), a disheartening experience at the time. Later, in 2018 a funded proposal to deliver an ‘advanced’ telecare project with a tantalising 'carrot' for delivering scale upon success, was blocked by the commercial reality of an incumbent supply chain contract that prevented the delivery of that success! Yet the feedback we received helped refine our strategy and laid the foundation for later successes.

By treating both success and failure as part of the journey, we’ve maintained focus on what truly matters: building a system that serves people with compassion, dignity, and efficiency. At Archangel, this resilience—this ability to adapt, learn and grow from every outcome—is at the heart of our work.

Continuing the Journey

The second verse of If teaches us to hold dreams and decisions in balance, to act with courage and purpose, and to navigate the highs and lows of leadership with grace. In the pursuit of a better way forward for health and care, these lessons have been invaluable. They remind me that progress isn’t about avoiding risks or setbacks—it’s about moving forward, learning constantly, and staying true to the values that guide us.

In the next blog, I’ll reflect on the third verse of If, which speaks to perseverance: the ability to rebuild and press on when everything seems lost. For anyone working in health care, where challenges often feel insurmountable, it’s a powerful lesson in endurance and renewal.

As always, I invite you to join this conversation. How do you balance vision with action in your own work? How do you handle the inevitable triumphs and disasters along the way? Together, we can explore what it means to build with purpose, even when the path forward isn’t always clear.