Through a lens of feminist leadership studies, this chapter draws on contemporary research and theories surrounding motivations behind moral courage. Motivations include moral indignation and outrage, empathy and compassion, a sense of personal responsibility, self-esteem, agency, self-efficacy, situational awareness, an ability to overcome fear of risks or danger, and a deep belief in one’s competence and capacity to foment change. This chapter explores examples of moral courage and activism as expressed by the leadership of 2003 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Shirin Ebadi of Iran, contributing to a broader understanding of systems transformation and feminist leadership.