logo
episode-header-image
Jul 31
44m 51s

1080: How to Say No When the World Deman...

How to be Awesome at Your Job
About this episode

Dr. Sunita Sah reveals the dangers of compliance and offers strategies for building the skill of defiance.


— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The powerful force that makes saying no so difficult

2) How to disagree while still being a team player

3) A super sentence to make defiance easier


Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1080 for clickable versions of the links below. 


— ABOUT SUNITA — 

Sunita Sah is a national bestselling author, an award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. She leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. A trained physician, she practiced medicine in the United Kingdom and worked as a management consultant for the pharmaceutical industry. She currently teaches executives, leaders, and students in healthcare and business.

Dr. Sah is a sought-after international speaker and consultant, advisor to government agencies, and former Commissioner of the National Commission on Forensic Science. Her multidisciplinary research and analyses have been widely published in leading academic journals and media entities including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American. She lives with her husband and son in New York.

• Book: Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes

• Study: “Kicking Yourself: Going Against Your Inclinations Leads to Greater Feelings of Control and Culpability” with Kaitlin Woolley

• Website: SunitaSah.com

• Substack: Defiant by Design

• Instagram: @drsunitasah

• LinkedIn: Dr. Sunita Sah


— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Study: Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics) by Stanley Milgram

• Book: Animal Farm by George Orwell

• Study: Stanley Milgram Shock Experiment


— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — 

• Strawberry.me. Claim your $50 credit and build momentum in your career with Strawberry.me/Awesome

• Plaud.aiUse the code AWESOME and get a discount on your order

• Rula. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at Rula.com/Awesome

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at linkedin.com/beawesome

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
1100: How to Be Bold in the Face of Uncertainty (According to Science) with Dr. Ranjay Gulati
Dr. Ranjay Gulati discusses how to resource yourself for courageous action during times of uncertainty.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) The critical question to ask when you’re feeling fear2) The six resources of courageous people3) The simple mental shift that leads to braver actionsSubscrib ... Show More
42m 9s
Oct 6
1099: How to Buy Back Your Time with the Right Assistant with Jess Lindgren
Jess Lindgren shares what it takes to build a working relationship that helps give you back your time and focus.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) The must-have traits of any great assistant2) The key to hiring an assistant3) Where to find great assistants hiding in your own networkSubscribe or ... Show More
46m 14s
Oct 2
1098: How to Achieve Your Biggest Goals through Self-Persuasion with Jay Heinrichs
Jay Heinrich reveals how to unlock your best self using the ancient techniques of rhetoric.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) Aristotle’s lure and ramp method for making progress2) Why to make your affirmations as silly as possible3) Powerful reframes for failure and impostor syndromeSubscribe ... Show More
40m 31s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Negotiating Disagreement | Robert Bordone & Joel Salinas
In today's episode, we dive into the science of managing conflict and building resilience with Bob Bordone and Joel Salinas, two thought leaders in negotiation and emotional intelligence. Bob Bordone, a senior fellow and former professor at Harvard Law School, is the founder of t ... Show More
1h 4m
Jan 2025
The Science Of Conflict Resolution | Dr. Jim Guinn
In today's episode, we discuss the art and science of conflict resolution with Dr. Jim Guinn, a renowned expert in mediation and interpersonal dynamics. As the president of the Resolution Resource Group, Dr. Guinn has worked with Fortune 500 companies, government organizations, a ... Show More
1h 6m
Nov 2024
Suzanne de Janasz: How Addressing Small Conflicts Can Prevent Big Frustrations
Want to share your thoughts?Fill out our listener formRequest A Customized Workshop For Your Company In this enlightening episode of "Negotiate Anything," host Kwame Christian and guest expert Dr. Suzanne de Janasz delve into advanced negotiation tactics and the importance of sel ... Show More
40m 11s
Sep 2024
Mastering Difficult Conversations: David Dye's Tips on Workplace Conflict
Request A Customized Workshop For Your Company: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/services/workshops/ Join Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A., in this enlightening episode of Negotiate Anything as he welcomes David Dye, president of Let's Grow Leaders and renowned author. Tog ... Show More
27m 26s
Sep 11
#1 Negotiation Guru Reveals the Secrets of Negotiation & Influence - with Giuseppe Conti
Most people fail in negotiations because they don’t prepare, confuse influence with persuasion, or push when they should pull—Giuseppe Conti, the world’s #1 Negotiation Guru, shows you how to avoid these mistakes. Buy the book Negotiation + Influence = Success: Quick Lessons to H ... Show More
1h 3m
Aug 2024
Chris Voss: #1 Secret Formula FBI Negotiators Use To Always Get What They Want & 4 Ways to Apply These Tactics to Your Life
What's a simple negotiation trick you can try today? How can you get better at persuading others? Today, Jay welcomes former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator and author of "Never Split the Difference", Chris Voss. He is renowned for his innovative negotiation strategi ... Show More
1h 39m
Nov 2024
Jonathan Mahan: Why Traditional Sales Training is Failing You
Want to share your thoughts?Fill out our listener formRequest A Customized Workshop For Your Company In this enlightening episode of Negotiate Anything, host Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A., is joined by Jonathan Mahan, co-founder of The Practice Lab and negotiation expert. The duo d ... Show More
34m 38s
Aug 28
Group Negotiation Secrets: How to Lead Without Losing Control
In this episode, Kwame Christian sits down with Colin M. Fisher, author of The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups, to explore the hidden psychology of group dynamics. From the dinner table to the boardroom, every group is a negotiation — balancing individual go ... Show More
1h 3m
Jan 2025
How to Make Better Decisions Under Pressure
Many people believe that leaders instinctively make the best decisions based on past experience, almost like muscle memory. But Carol Kauffman, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and the founder of the Institute of Coaching, challenges this view. She explains why falli ... Show More
28m 14s
Jun 2025
How to build a team that can “take a punch”: A playbook for building resilient, high-performing teams | Hilary Gridley (Head of Core Product, Whoop)
Hilary Gridley is the Head of Core Product at WHOOP and a passionate thought leader in leveraging AI to elevate product teams and management practices. With extensive experience tackling challenging problems in regulated industries and high-stakes environments, Hilary emphasizes ... Show More
1h 54m