Joy does not come easily to superintendents. The path is often strewn with conflict, adversity and crises. In their own experience supporting superintendents across the country, the authors have learned that joy in the face of adversity accrues primarily to superintendents who demonstrate the elements of resilience. Resilient superintendents possess the ability to recover, learn and grow stronger when confronted by chronic or crisis adversity. In this article, the authors suggest that in the face of adversity, superintendents must call upon three broad skill sets to be resilient: (1) resilience thinking skills; (2) resilience capacity skills; and (3) resilience action skills. Examples of superintendents who have developed these skill sets serve as models for others.