Why is it so hard to speak up, even when we know something’s wrong?
Many of us comply much more than we realize. How many times have you wanted to object, disagree, or opt out of something—but ended up swallowing your words, shaking your head, and just going along? Discussing the ideas and frameworks from her bestselling book DEFY, Dr. Sunita Sah will delve into why the pressure to comply is a corrosive and often invisible force in our society, and what we can do about it.
Drawing on her original research on compliance, defiance, insinuation anxiety, and voice, you’ll learn to:
Show up authentically in personal and professional situations
Understand the difference between defiance, compliance, and consent
Practice defiance in low-stakes scenarios to build confidence
Recognize your body’s warning signals that it’s time to act
Navigate workplace pressure without losing your integrity (or your job)
Defiance isn’t about being loud or combative. It’s about acting in alignment with your values, even when it’s hard. DEFY will show you how to do it every day, in every part of your life.
Dr. Sunita Sah is the national bestselling author of DEFY, an award-winning professor at Cornell University, and an expert in organizational psychology. She leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, trust, 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.
Host
Aparna Joshi, Raymond T. J. Perring Family Professor of Business Administration, Professor of Management and Organizations, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Faculty Associate, Center for Positive Organizations
Positive Links Speaker Series Sponsors
The Center for Positive Organizations thanks the Sanger Leadership Center, Tauber Institute for Global Operations, and the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship for their support of the 2026-27 Positive Links Speaker Series.
Register here for this free online event. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.