Dr Shah helps leaders find clarity under social pressure
My research explored a recurring paradox: uncertainty about others’ intentions can trigger fear, defensive decisions and, ultimately, the very outcomes people hoped to avoid. This became the Defensive Decision Paradox, a framework I continue to develop through psychology, behavioural science and neuroscience.
I have delivered more than 150 workshops to hundreds of professionals, gathering first-hand insight into fear of judgement, conflict and speaking up at work.
I have also run Learning Brains, my education company, for a decade.
As a PepTalk speaker, I speak about fear, judgement and conflict at work.
I also live with a metabolic condition that can trigger physiological stress, reminding me that fear’s urgency is not always reliable evidence of the true stakes.
Workshops
Single-day, hands-on sprints to practice new skills
Make Better Decisions Under Social Pressure
Should You Speak Up, Push Back, or Wait?
Why Smart Leaders Talk Themselves Out of Hard Conversations
Stop rehearsing the conversation in your head. Leave ready to have it.
Strategy Under Judgement: When Being Seen Shapes What You Choose
The Audience in Your Head Is Quietly Writing Your Strategy
Work Without Burning Out: A Personalized Stress Toolkit for Demanding Jobs
Generic stress advice fails. Get an individualised playbook from 20 proven tools
Lightning Lessons
Free, interactive sessions to explore new topics
Why Smart Leaders Soften Their Best Ideas
Why Smart Leaders Soften Their Best Ideas
Why Your Safest Decisions Are the Most Expensive Ones
How Avoiding Conflict Quietly Wrecks Your Strategy
Why Your Safest Decisions Are the Most Expensive Ones