Rael Bricker
The Story Behind Optimistic Leadership
30+ years of real-world experience
I speak about optimistic leadership — not the feel-good version of optimism, but the disciplined kind that helps leaders and their people move forward when the answers aren't obvious.
That thinking became the RISE Framework, a practical leadership system I developed from more than 30 years of real-world experience across mining, finance, education and entrepreneurship, combined with research and conversations with leaders across more than 85 organisations in 25 countries.
RISE brings optimistic leadership to life through four disciplines: Raise a Vision for Excellence, Inspire Alignment and Engagement, Strengthen and Leverage What Works, and Execute Through Incremental Action.
I've experienced those principles from very different perspectives — working 6,000 feet underground, building and listing companies, creating an education business that grew to more than 4,000 students, and spending more than 25 years in financial services. Along the way I've learned that optimism isn't about believing everything will work out.
It's about creating the conditions that help people RISE.
My partnerships are a blend of real-world experience with academic qualifications (MBA, MSc) to guide people and companies towards excellence
Globally Driven - Locally Known
After 30+ years as a serial entrepreneur, in everything from education to finance to fitness, I’ve now made it my mission to share my knowledge and expertise with others. Seeing that light come on, and connections being made in people’s heads as to how they can weave my experiences and advice into their businesses reinforces that this is where I need to be.
The story behind the work
In 2013 I was given a rude awakening when after a season of triathlons, I decided to run a marathon. All this was part of a plan before turning 50. Each time I ran, I experienced neck pain and it was discovered that I had two blocked arteries. I was the lucky one- I dodged a bullet and ended up with two stents.
That experience changed the way I thought about work, leadership and life. It sharpened my sense of purpose: to take what I had learned through business, success, failure and uncertainty and turn it into something practical that could help other leaders and their people move forward. In many ways, it became part of the thinking that eventually led to my work in optimistic leadership and the RISE Framework.
My work today centres on optimistic leadership. I created the RISE Framework to give leaders a practical way to turn optimism into action—raising a clear vision, inspiring alignment, strengthening what already works and executing through deliberate, incremental action.
The Long Story
My work has taken me across more than 25 countries, conducting research interviews with companies and leaders from vastly different industries and cultures. That global perspective, combined with three decades of navigating the highs and lows of business myself, is what I bring to every engagement. I don't speak from theory — I speak from experience.
On paper, I hold an MBA and an MSc in Engineering, and I'm a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a Fellow of the MFAA, and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. But the qualification I value most came from the school of hard knocks — and the skill I'm proudest of is simply this: I listen first, then design a solution that fits you.
Giving back matters to me. I served as President of Professional Speakers Australia (WA) in 2021 and 2022, joined the PSA national board in 2023, and chaired the 2024 PSA National Convention. From 2026, I'll serve as the inaugural President of the PSA Charitable Foundation.
My surname says it all — I'm in the business of laying the right bricks as the foundation for your personal and professional excellence.
Let’s connect and chat.
The First Book
This book, published in May 2018, was intended to be a guide for people to take my experiences and be able to put the lessons into practice. As the blurb says:
“Business does not have to be complicated. Business can be simple.
Take a breath, dive in, and adjust the course while you are moving.
This book looks at 30+ years of work and business on two continents through startups to listed companies. It is a collection of business principles that underline the idea of sometimes just taking a leap of faith and Diving In is all you need to succeed”
