This project developed and examined the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the Courage Measure, the reduced version composed of six items as suggested by Howard and Alipour (J Posit Psychol 9:449-459, 2014). Two studies were conducted with independent samples of Italian adults, providing psychometric support for the Italian adaptation of the inventory. This short scale is proposed as a useful tool in the fields of mental health and career counselling for assessing the propensity of individuals to behave courageously and to persist despite perceived risks. Scores may indicate potential to overcome personal challenges related to everyday life as well as career-related problems.