Happy is not something you are, it’s something you do.
Shadé Zahrai is a leadership ‘alchemist’ known for her superhuman ability to translate the latest in neuroscience and psychology research into practical and actionable strategies that drive mindset shifts and behavioural change in a systemic way.
She’s a dynamic speaker who skillfully blends a wealth of experience in corporate and consulting Fortune 500s around the world, with her approach as a scholar-practitioner and her PhD research in leadership and career performance.
She’s spent countless hours with hundreds of teams from startups to Fortune 500s, observing clear behavioural trends behind the happiest and most successful people. Now through her company, along with her PhD research in career performance, she is leveraging the latest insights in high performance and leadership into commercially sound strategies for people and companies to do their best work by putting emotional intelligence and ‘humanness’ at the core.
A former commercial lawyer that transitioned to a successful career in banking and strategy consulting, she has since become a bestselling author, Harvard-trained leadership coach, TEDx speaker and was recently recognised as Adweek’s Careers Creator of the Year has amassed a global community of over 1.3 M followers on social media. She’s been featured in Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk, Adweek, the New York Times & Yahoo Finance, and is a former member of the Forbes Coaches Council, contributing articles focussed on career development, leadership and high performance.
She runs Influenceo Global Inc., a leadership development, consulting & research firm, that works with Fortune 500s across the globe including McDonald's, Microsoft, Proctor & Gamble & JP Morgan, empowering their teams to thrive during these turbulent times. Shadé is very in touch with the human side of the business and how to drive sustained performance, and she also has a passion for delivering programs for women in leadership to maximise confidence and supercharge success. She was the season one host of Commonwealth bank’s Leading Women podcast.
Shadé’s deep academic understanding of the art and science of peak performance blended with her commercial acumen, data-driven content and captivating storytelling, combines to make her an in-demand global speaker. Shadé’s keynotes are characterised by authenticity, practicality and creating lasting impact.
Shadé is also a 3x Australian champion Latin dancer, so salsa lessons are an added perk.
Previous Experience
Awards and Accolades: Recently named Adweek’s Careers Content Creator of the Year in the Creator Visionary Awards, a past member of the esteemed Forbes Coaches Council and a former contributor to Forbes.com. Shadé was named Mentor of the Year in the 2019 Women in Financial Services Awards, a finalist in the prestigious Telstra Women in Business Awards in 2019 and 2020, finalist in the Women in Finance Awards 2019, a Future Business Council Scholar and Future Leader Scholar in 2017 and 2018, and a Westpac Woman of Influence in 2016.
Talking Points
Embracing an Opportunity Mindset - Science-backed Strategies to Thrive during Change
During times of change, the default human response is often to experience overwhelm and to enter ‘crisis mode’. Yet the most successful, most productive and most fulfilled professionals are those who understand how to master their mindset and focus on the plethora of opportunities that change and challenges present. Embracing an Opportunity Mindset - Science-backed Strategies to Thrive during Change
Shadé Zahrai will guide you through the neuroscience research behind how to embrace an opportunity mindset, how to feel more empowered and focussed, and how to more effectively influence others. She will reveal some of the latest evidence-based practices to transform your performance, supercharge your impact, and optimise team engagement.
Who is this for:
Business leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, marketers, small business owners, anyone faced with change and transformation.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the neuroscience behind how we respond to change to ‘bio-hack’ our internal processes for enhanced productivity and performance
- Develop a toolkit of simple mindset mastery strategies to help you thrive and navigate complex emotional states
- Learn must-know tips on how to make these mindset & behavioural changes stick around for the long term
Flourishing Minds -The Art & Science of Peak Performance
We’ve all felt it before. Tired, stretched too thin, struggling to switch off our brains, a little concerned about the future and not being able to predict what might happen. The lives we lead can be relentlessly stressful, constantly draining our willpower. But there’s also a silver lining: we have the tools, capabilities and science-based know-how to not only learn to overcome these challenges but to build our capacity to thrive in this brave new world. Flourishing Minds -The Art & Science of Peak Performance
Join Shadé as she helps you understand why you think and act the way you do, and then implement science-backed behaviour change to flourish. She will share must-know peak performance practices to supercharge your impact.
Who is this for:
Business leaders, marketers, anyone who would benefit from enhancing their performance.
Key Takeaways:
- An understanding of the dominant emotional states of 2021 and how this impacts motivation, drive and performance
- Common anxiety ‘traps’ that keep high performers stuck and depleted, and must-know evidence-based tools to overcome them
- Actionable brain-based practices to maintain sustained high performance, focus and drive for the long-term
Keynote + Workshop: Communication Mastery - High Performance Leadership Communication
The ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and with conviction is a critical business skill that many struggle to master. In this workshop (which can also be delivered as a keynote), Shadé Zahrai will guide you through the science of influence, foundations of emotionally intelligent communication, proven tools to boost your persuasiveness with stakeholders and team members, and how to elevate your leadership impact. By understanding the ‘humanness vs courage’ matrix, you’ll become equipped with a toolkit of science-based strategies to navigate challenging conversations and get the best of yourself and your team, supercharging your influence and enhancing your ability to lead, especially during challenging times.Keynote + Workshop: Communication Mastery - High Performance Leadership Communication
Who is this for:
Business leaders, executives, team leaders, relationship managers, anyone who would benefit from enhancing their leadership and communication influence.
Key Takeaways:
- A deepened understanding of the foundations of emotional intelligence and tools to better connect with stakeholders and coworkers to facilitate collaboration and expedite outcomes
- An increase in confidence in how to be persuasive in your communication through a toolkit of proven strategies
- How to confidently handle challenging conversations and provide feedback with a focus on growth and transparency using the brain-based ‘humanness vs courage’ approach
Workshop: High-Performance Teams - Mindset Mastery, Self-Leadership & Unified Vision
High performing organisations require high-performance teams. A pre-requisite for high performing teams is high performing people who understand how they support the organisation in achieving it’s overarching aims. Workshop: High-Performance Teams - Mindset Mastery, Self-Leadership & Unified Vision
Shadé Zahrai will take you through the characteristics that give high-performance teams (HPT) the ‘edge’, including the mindset essentials required for success, self-leadership strategies for optimal performance and the three key drivers of team cohesion: clarity of purpose, solidarity in the face of external challenges, and strong relationships focussed on candour and collaboration.
Who is this for:
Business leaders, executives, marketers, anyone who would benefit from enhancing their leadership and performance individually and as part of a team.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn the mindset essentials required for success including the neuroscience of how the brain responds to pressure and effective self-regulation strategies
- Understand application of the psychology-informed HPT framework to enhance team cohesion around a unified strategic vision
- Develop a toolkit of evidence-based strategies to both unlock and optimise focus and supercharge individual and team performance
The Brilliance of Cognitive Resilience - Actionable Strategies to Navigate Uncertainty & Improve Wellbeing
The pandemic has disrupted the way we work. During unforeseen and unprecedented change it’s all too easy to become swept by the undercurrent of disruptions outside your control and to succumb to feelings of overwhelm. Building capacity for cognitive resilience will help insulate your mindset and shift your focus to what you can control, allowing for better problem solving, clarity and emotional resilience.The Brilliance of Cognitive Resilience - Actionable Strategies to Navigate Uncertainty & Improve Wellbeing
Shadé Zahrai will leave you with a renewed understanding of the meaning of cognitive resilience by tapping into your emotional intelligence, leaving you empowered with a toolkit of must-know resilience strategies to enhance your wellbeing and elevate your performance.
Who is this for:
Business leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, administrators, marketers, small business owners.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the elements of wellbeing to build cognitive and emotional resilience and combat overwhelm
- Develop a selection of research-backed and actionable wellbeing ‘hacks’ using emotional intelligence tools
- Learn essential evidence-based tips to enhance focus and & supercharge productivity
Evolving Leadership: The missing trait to Transformational Leadership
World 4.0 requires a new conception of leadership. Shadé Zahrai examines the core development fundamentals necessary to be a transformational leader of impact, unpacking the three core areas of mindset, method and mastery. Evolving Leadership: The missing trait to Transformational Leadership
Referring to leadership & psychology research, she shares how this ‘missing trait’ isn’t what most of us would think… it’s ‘Happiness-in-action!’. Without this foundational quality, leaders’ influence will always be limited. In this informative and inspiring keynote, audiences will learn how to embody ‘happiness-in-action’, why it plays such a crucial role in leadership and specific ways to develop it to step closer to becoming a transformational leader during times of change.
Who is this for:
Business leaders, executives, small business owners, aspiring leaders, anyone in a position of leadership.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the ‘Four Is’ of being ‘transformational’, and their practical application as a leader
- Explore the evidence supporting the missing trait through the ‘GAS Framework’ for transformational leadership
- Develop simple leadership-hacks to become more transformational in your approach, to effectively lead your team and to maximise engagement and productivity
#ChooseToChallenge: The case for embracing gender (and cognitive) diversity
Inspired by the story of her refugee family who narrowly escaped severe persecution for their beliefs in gender equality and the elimination of prejudice, Shadé demonstrates how deep-rooted beliefs about gender bias affect our perceptions and how we view our own potential. #ChooseToChallenge: The case for embracing gender (and cognitive) diversity
In this optimistic and empowering keynote, Shadé Zahrai shares insights around how equality is not only good for women, it’s good for our economic wellbeing and prosperity. She’ll share learnings of how teams that embrace and leverage diversity are more innovative, more strategic and more likely to achieve commercial success.
Who is this for:
Business leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, marketers, small business owners, women’s events, IWD audiences.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the psychology of ‘exclusion’ and how minority (gender) stereotypes are reinforced
- Develop a ‘Diversity Leadership’ toolkit of strategies to better embrace difference
- Learn tips around how to better utilise and contribute unique strengths and differences
Video
International Women’s Day Keynote - Highlights Reel 2019
Keynote Highlights video from a Balance for Better keynote delivered for an organisation in Sydney for International Women's Day 2019.The Purpose Economy Keynote - Highlights Reel 2019
Keynote on Living a Life Aligned to Your Values and Purpose, delivered at the Young Ambassador's Welcome event for the Banking and Finance Oath, hosted by The Ethics Centre (2019).What Barbie told me about my potential… as a woman | Shadé Zahrai | TEDxMonashUniversity
We’re told to lead, but not too hard. To do what men do, but not how men do it…” Inspired by the story of her ancestors who despite the threat of persecution stood up for gender equality, Shadé Zahrai demonstrates how deep-rooted beliefs about gender bias affect our perceptions and how we view our own potential. In this optimistic and empowering talk, Shadé shares how gender equality and synergy is not only good for women, it’s good for business. Through working together and recognising the role our mindset plays, we can create a world where we are all free to pursue our passions and to contribute equally with our talents. Shadé Zahrai is an author, consultant, former lawyer, trainer, accredited coach, speaker and Australian champion latin dancer. Shadé specialises in translating positive psychology and neuroscience research into simple, easy-to-apply strategies to enhance performance and wellbeing. She is passionate about empowering women and minorities to challenge unconscious bias, drive inclusion and advance equality in the workplace and our communities. Learn more at www.shadezahrai.com. Her mission is to help make the world a better place - One happy person at a time.Communicate with influence, every time...
"What's Your Brain Type?" Communicate with influence, every time.What brain preference do you have? What about those you interact with every day?“Once you know what style you have, you actually become better equipped at identifying the styles of others. This then allows you to tailor your message and how you communicate so you can give them what they want to hear, how they want to hear it. It’s a master technique that will help in all aspects of your life...”The rhythmic beauty of collaboration | Shadé Zahrai (accompanied by Aric Yegudkin) | TED Institute
This partner dance is “a beautiful expression of unity" that celebrates "diversity through collaboration,” offers Shadé Zahrai (accompanied onstage by Aric Yegudkin). Zahrai suggests that we are all dancers on the stage of life, with a part to play in building our collective future. About the TED Institute: We know that innovative ideas and fresh approaches to challenging problems can be discovered inside visionary companies around the world. The TED Institute helps surface and share these insights. Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas.The Subconscious, Attitude & Success, RYLA Keynote - Highlights
Diversity Keynote - Highlights 2019 | Shade Zahrai
Highlights from a keynote on Diversity: 'When we Work Together, We All Do Better.'Delivered in Melbourne, 2019.Women Under Pressure - Brain-based Strengths | Shade Zahrai | Saxton Speakers
Shadé Zahrai is one of Australia's leading millennial experts on building a success mindset, self-belief and self-mastery for business professionals.Countless studies have shown that women have more of a tendency to focus on what they lack, their gaps and their weaknesses rather than strengths. By combatting self-limiting beliefs and learning hacks for greater confidence and wellbeing, women will be ready to confidently communicate their vision and leadership purpose and to have greater clarity in their goals and aspirations. This keynote explores the research and neuroscience behind what frequently holds women back, the basics of how the subconscious creates our reality, and the tangible tools and strategies that women can embrace to have more confidence, greater presence and greater success in their careers.How Gratitude Can Change Your Life
Shadé Zahrai is one of Australia's leading millennial experts on building a success mindset, self-belief and self-mastery for business professionals.Lessons from Netflix - Be Open and Adaptable to Change
Shadé Zahrai is one of Australia's leading millennial experts on building a success mindset, self-belief and self-mastery for business professionals.We’re living in a world and business landscape that’s changing at an unprecedented rate. It’s imperative that we continually evolve the way that we work and lead so we can continue to achieve excellence in this era of uncertainty. What goes on in our minds when faced with change? Why is it sometimes so hard to manage our emotions and why do we resist? Through an understanding of the basics of neuroscience and the psychology behind how our brain responds to changes at work or in our environment, audiences will be equipped with the Three Part Framework for Change, and strategies effectively lead themselves, and their teams, through a changing business landscape. Using examples from leading global companies, Shadé will explore the Changesilience Matrix, the importance of a culture of ownership, accountability & responsibility and tools to navigate complex emotional states. Audiences will be equipped with strategies to help them thrive in the face of change to transform themselves and their teams, while contributing to greater commercial success.Audio
After a big year of change and transformation, we recognised an opportunity to tap into the power of mindset across our leadership team, inviting Shade to facilitate at our first completely ... keep reading Optus
I worked with Shade on a large national event series (online) where she was our keynote speaker. She was incredibly proactive and professional. Also, her presentation hit the mark perfectly. I believe that is a credit to her top-notch presentation skills, but also to the amount of preparation and content tailoring she did.
Thank you for running such an insightful session. It was anabsolute pleasure listening and watching you present. You give off so much enthusiasm and energy it's impossible not to get inspired.
My experience of working with Shade was excellent. We reached out to Shade to deliver a virtual keynote to business leaders. The content and delivery was highly engaging and we received positive feedback from attending customers and prospects. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Shade and I look forward to working with her again in the future.
Huge thanks to Shade for coming and talking to my teamrecently at our annual conference. Shade was able to adapt to our online approach and customize her presentation to theneeds of our dedicated team. Thanks for the insight and skills provided to the team.
The Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) has engaged Shade Zahrai to present a motivational session ‘Brilliance of Resilience’ during HIMAA’s inaugural Virtual Conference. The session was so thought provoking, engaging and interactive that we continue to receive a lot of positive feedback from the virtual attendees. Shade was brilliant with her extensive psychological knowledge that she presented professionally. Her advice and examples were relevant, inspiring and applicable to everyone. Shade’s warm personality and fabulous presentation skills contributed to the session’s success.
During the challenges of Melbourne lockdown, Shade returned to our firm to deliver a two part keynote around the brilliance of constructive resilience. It was powerful and timely to say the least. Her engaging style and impactful message, even when delivered virtually, left us with actionable strategies to help us all get through a challenging time, and an inspirational recharge we all needed. She is incredibly insightful, relatable and what makes her a standout is her commercial acumen combined with her neuroscience backed research. With overwhelmingly positive feedback, I highly recommend Shade to any company wanting to engage, educate and empower their team members.
Shade hosted a webinar for the Australian Insurance Law Association titled the ‘Brilliance of Constructive Resilience’. The webinar was practical, insightful and perfectly delivered. We received very positive feedback from our attendees. Shade was also a pleasure to deal with in the lead up to the event. I would be comfortable recommending her for any organisation looking for a first class and knowledgeable presenter in her areas of expertise.
Shadé Zahrai delivered an insightful and hugely valuable webinar, which was extremely well received. Electrolux APAC & MEA team absolutely loved it! She offered a huge amount of value through her stories and expertise on how to demonstrate a growth mindset not only in thought, but in action. I believe that it was one of the successful webinars that our talent team had provided. As a speaker Shadé is highly engaging, articulate, passionate and has has a remarkable ability to leave a lasting impact through her relatable stories and actionable frameworks.
Shadé exceeded our expectations, kept the entire audience engaged… Undoubtedly one of the best talks we have had. The feedback was extremely positive. Generally people ask us for quick talks, but in this case everyone told us that they wanted to continue listening to her. We cannot wait to invite her again!
Shadé captivated our audience from the get-go. She delivered a keynote for our annual Conference and although the event was virtual, the audience felt like they were in the room with Shadé. Her keynote was highly engaging, relevant and the content touched many members of our audience. I look forward to working with Shadé in the near future.
Her techniques for leadership and resilience were very insightful - I received feedback from employees who begun using them next day! Shadé is an upbeat, motivated and positive person. I could have listened to her all day
Shadé is one of the best speakers we have ever worked with. She knows how to tailor the content to the audience and the sessions were engaging and insightful throughout. We had an overwhelming positive response with thousands signing up to listen, ask questions and learn from Shadé's experience. Shadé is amazing and knows how to keep an audience engaged!
She did an incredible job! She was engaging, professional and had amazing insights through out. She was invaluable to this event and can't wait to work with her again in the future!
Shade and the team at Influenceo Global were a breeze to work with! We were very impressed with the level of professionalism and high quality of Shade’s delivery, particularly since the webinar was hosted from her home!
