Dr. Shadé Zahrai is a behavioural researcher and peak performance educator and a leading voice on confidence and self-doubt. A former lawyer and banker with a PhD in organisational behaviour, she has taught more than 7 million learners on LinkedIn Learning, and her 2026 book Big Trust sets out her framework for rewiring self-doubt. [1] [2]
Who is Dr. Shadé Zahrai?
Shadé Zahrai started out in law and finance. She describes herself as a former lawyer and banker turned self-leadership expert, researcher and author, who uses behavioural science to help high-potential people break the patterns keeping them stuck. [1]
Her qualifications span law, business and psychology: an LLB with first-class honours, an MBA, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a diploma in positive psychology and coaching certification, and a PhD in organisational behaviour. [3] [1]
She has designed and delivered programmes for companies including Google, Microsoft, LVMH, JP Morgan and McKinsey, and has reached more than 7 million learners through her LinkedIn Learning courses. Her TEDx talks and videos have attracted more than 300 million views. [1] She was named AdWeek’s 2021 Career Content Creator of the Year, and LinkedIn has named her one of its Top Voices for career development. [3] [2]
Zahrai runs Influenceo Global with her husband, Fayçal Sekkouah, delivering keynotes, online programmes and educational content. The couple co-wrote Big Trust, published by HarperOne in the US and Vermilion in the UK in January 2026. [3] [4] [2]
Her approach in brief
- Understand your doubt. Know the patterns driving your decisions.
- Accept. Turn failure and perfectionism into fuel.
- Act. Reclaim agency and autonomy over your choices.
- Adapt. Harness your emotions to stay flexible.
At a glance
Former career: Lawyer and banker
PhD: Organisational behaviour
Book: Big Trust (2026, with Fayçal Sekkouah)
LinkedIn Learning: 7M+ learners
YouTube: @Dr.ShadeZahrai
Good fit if
You are capable but held back by self-doubt, you struggle with imposter feelings or perfectionism at work, or you want clear, research-informed tools rather than hype.Our take
One of the clearest voices on confidence at work. Start with her video on imposter syndrome, then take the Doubt Profile quiz or read Big Trust.Dr. Shadé Zahrai’s methods
Zahrai blends behavioural science with practical tools. Tap a card to read more.
The Four A’s
At the heart of Big Trust is Zahrai’s framework, the Four A’s: Acceptance, Agency, Autonomy and Adaptability. It shows how to take control of your inner world so you can thrive in the outer one. [4] [2]
The book covers reframing the beliefs that hold you back, breaking free from people-pleasing and perfectionism, quieting comparison and imposter thoughts, stretching your comfort zone, and channelling emotion into clarity and conviction. [2]
Your Doubt Profile
“Doubt doesn’t care how qualified you are,” Zahrai writes. You can’t think, motivate or work your way past the internal patterns shaping your decisions until you understand what’s driving them. [1]
To help, she created the Doubt Profile quiz, a self-diagnostic tool that also features in the book, so readers can decode their unique pattern of self-doubt. [5] [2]
Imposter syndrome
Imposter syndrome is a theme Zahrai returns to often, in videos such as “Why Smart People Struggle With Imposter Syndrome (And How to Fix It)” and “5 Ways to Beat Imposter Syndrome”. [3]
The idea goes back to research by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, who described high achievers who felt they didn’t deserve their success. Our self-confidence guide and self-esteem guide offer more ways to work with it.
Inner critics
In a two-part series, Zahrai introduces five inner critics and then five steps to master them. [3] The aim is to recognise the different voices of self-criticism, rather than treating them as the truth.
Research on self-compassion and on distanced self-talk, such as talking to yourself by name, supports a kinder, more objective way of responding to that voice.
Cognitive distortions
In “How Cognitive Distortions Keep You Stuck”, Zahrai explains how distorted thinking patterns keep people stuck, and shares four ways to stop negative thinking. [3]
Cognitive distortions are a core idea in cognitive behavioural therapy. Our CBT guide and overthinking guide explain how to spot and challenge them.
Narrative identity
“Change Your Life in 3 Steps” introduces narrative identity: the story you tell about who you are. Zahrai shows how rewriting that story can change how you see your past and act in the future. [3]
In “The 4 Beliefs That Control Your Life” she looks at the core beliefs underneath that story, and how to rewrite them. [3]
Perfectionism and burnout
Much of Zahrai’s content is aimed at working professionals. Videos cover how perfectionism affects careers and relationships, how the work hustle leads to burnout, and how to overcome the fear of failure. [3]
Our burnout guide has practical steps for recovering your energy at work.
Videos with Dr. Shadé Zahrai
Hand-picked and checked one by one: confidence, self-doubt, the mind and work.
Start here
Confidence
Your mind
Work and life
Articles about Dr. Shadé Zahrai
Dr. Shadé Zahrai’s books
Zahrai’s first book brings her framework together in one place.
Find Big Trust in your country: US · UK · Canada · Australia · India. The US hardcover lists at $29.99. [4]
Courses and free tools
Zahrai teaches 21 courses on LinkedIn Learning, and offers free confidence scripts and a weekly newsletter on her site. [6] [1]
Her book and courses are available worldwide, including in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and India.
What the Research Shows
Dr. Shadé Zahrai describes her work as evidence-based personal development. Here are some of the studies behind the themes she teaches:
- Imposter feelings. The paper that first described the imposter phenomenon showed that many high achievers feel like frauds despite clear success, and that it can be worked through. [7]
- Self-compassion. Treating yourself with the kindness you would show a friend is linked with greater wellbeing and resilience. [8]
- How you talk to yourself. Talking to yourself in the second or third person helped people stay calmer and perform better under stress. [9]
- Self-talk and performance. A meta-analysis found that deliberate self-talk improved performance on a range of tasks. [10]
- Small daily habits. New habits became automatic after an average of 66 days, and missing an occasional day did not derail progress. [11]
Watch: Shadé Zahrai on TikTok
Here is a short clip from Shadé Zahrai’s official TikTok account on an idea covered on this page.
See: Shadé Zahrai on Instagram
Here are two posts from Shadé Zahrai on Instagram, including a collaboration with The Jefferson Fisher Podcast.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Frequently asked questions
Who is Dr. Shadé Zahrai?
A behavioural researcher, peak performance educator and author on confidence and self-doubt, and a former lawyer and banker.
What is Big Trust?
Her 2026 book, co-written with her husband Fayçal Sekkouah, on rewiring self-doubt and building self-trust.
What are the Four A’s?
Acceptance, Agency, Autonomy and Adaptability: the framework at the heart of Big Trust.
What is the Doubt Profile?
A self-diagnostic quiz to help you understand your own pattern of self-doubt.
Does Shadé Zahrai have courses?
Yes, 21 courses on LinkedIn Learning.
Where is Shadé Zahrai from?
Her YouTube channel is based in Australia, and she has written for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Where should I start?
Watch “Why Smart People Struggle With Imposter Syndrome”, then take the Doubt Profile quiz.
Sources
- Dr. Shadé Zahrai official site
- Penguin UK: Big Trust
- Dr. Shadé Zahrai on YouTube: About
- HarperCollins: Big Trust
- Big Trust: official book page
- LinkedIn Learning: Shadé Zahrai
- Clance and Imes, The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 1978
- Neff, Self-Compassion: An Alternative Conceptualization of a Healthy Attitude Toward Oneself, Self and Identity 2003
- Kross et al., Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2014
- Hatzigeorgiadis et al., Self-Talk and Sports Performance: A Meta-Analysis, Perspectives on Psychological Science 2011
- Lally et al., How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world, European Journal of Social Psychology 2010
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