The Genius Life 544: The #1 Science-Backed Confidence Hack Nobody Teaches | Shadé Zahrai, PhD
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Jan 21, 2026 Dr. Shadeh Zahrai is a leadership strategist and behavioral science expert, author of Big Trust. In this engaging conversation, she reveals that confidence is rooted in trust and follows action, not feelings. Shadeh discusses practical tools like the worry list to manage anxiety, the impact of emotional contagion on confidence, and how others’ beliefs shape our performance. She emphasizes the importance of reframing self-doubt and provides exercises to combat imposter syndrome. Shadeh's insights are a refreshing take on building genuine confidence and self-trust.
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Action Precedes Feeling Of Confidence
- Confidence often follows action: you feel confident after doing the hard thing, not before.
- Shadeh Zahrai calls the prerequisite for action "big trust": trusting you can handle outcomes and learn from them.
Action Overcomes Inner Critic
- Successful people still have self-doubt but don't internalize it; they act despite it.
- The key difference is trusting themselves enough to proceed even with the inner critic present.
Use A Worry List And Worry-O'Clock
- Keep a running "worry list" and jot every worry down when it appears during the day.
- Schedule a 10–15 minute daily "worry o'clock" to process the list and act only on controllable items.
