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The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau

A speakers bureau that represents the best original thinkers,
writers, and doers for speaking engagements.

Robb Willer

Trying to get someone to see your side? Start by connecting to their underlying moral values.

Prof. of Social Psychology & Organizational Behavior at Stanford | Director of the Politics and Social Change Lab

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Navigating Partisan Division (25:54)

Lavin Exclusive Speaker

Our democracy hasn’t been this polarized since the Civil War, says social psychologist and Stanford professor Robb Willer. But he has an antidote to this hyper-polarization: his technique of “moral reframing,” which teaches opposing groups to advocate for their beliefs through the lens of their opponent’s. Robb is the director of Stanford’s Politics and Social Change Lab, as well as the AI for Public Benefit Lab. His brilliant, timely talks provide both the wisdom and tools needed to challenge polarization and strengthen our democracy at a time when we need that more than ever. “If you don’t have a plan for navigating partisan division, you don’t have a plan for social impact,” he says.

How would you persuade a passionately decisive opponent to change their mind? First step, says Stanford professor and behavior expert Robb Willer, realize that you can’t just use the appeal that you find most convincing. As he explains in his TED Talk (which has been viewed over 2.9 million times), think about how you can reconfigure the terms of your position to suit their beliefs, values, and morals. “It sounds obvious,” says Robb, “and even though it is, it’s something we really struggle to do. We talk like we’re addressing a mirror.” Through his rigorously-tested technique of “moral reframing”, Robb shows how real, no-trickery persuasion begins through empathizing with the other side. It’s about discovering with what the person you disagree with tends to care about, and using that as the foundation for how you share you beliefs; creatively finding ways for your position to fit with their values.

In keynotes and custom workshops, Robb demonstrates the political, social, and professional uses of strategic persuasion. This is a skill to be learned, and one that relates to discussions as varied as same-sex marriage, sustaining the environment, and organizational culture. In his clear and warmly funny talks, Robb shows how the responsibility falls on all of us, no matter our political allegiance, to bridge these value gaps: and there is so much to be gained from that.

Robb is the director of Stanford’s landmark Politics and Social Change Lab, where he and his team are developing ambitious projects on reducing political bias, bridging political divides, and constructive political communication. He is also the director of Stanford’s AI for Public Benefit lab, as well as co-director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society Center. He is a professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior, where he focuses on the forces that bring people together – like trust and cooperation – and forces that divide them – like politics and morality. His work explores the social psychology of political attitudes, including the effects of fear, prejudice, and masculinity in contemporary U.S. politics, as well as how to make the work we do more meaningful.

Robb has consulted for and partnered with a wide range of organizations, including the White House COVID-19 Response Team, the U.S. Surgeon General, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Voter Protection Program, and two presidential campaigns. His writing on polarization, democracy, elections, and other topics has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, Scientific American, and Vox. His research has been covered globally by more than 100 media outlets including TIME magazine, The Atlantic, NPR, and the BBC.

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Speech Topics

Motivational

Polarized PersuasionThe Art of Talking to Someone You Disagree with

We tend to make political arguments in terms of our own moral values. So, when liberals make the case for abortion rights and conservatives make theirs for small government, they communicate using a moral compass that speaks only to them. The problem with this method, says Robb Willer, is that it doesn’t convince anyone who isn’t already convinced. In this talk, Robb will explain his technique of moral reframing and all its uses. Your audience will come away with the insight and tools to make new arguments that speak to the morals of whoever it is they’re hoping to persuade. The potential, as he explains, is transformative.

Artificial Intelligence

AI for Public BenefitHow to Build AI That Actually Helps People

AI is getting better very quickly at doing things organizations and institutions already want to do: inform, advise, predict, persuade, and interact at scale. “The question I’m most interested in,” says Robb Willer, “is which of these uses genuinely make people’s lives better, and which mainly help institutions do old things faster.”

Drawing on his work as director of Stanford’s AI for Public Benefit Lab, Robb explores how AI can improve civic information, access to services, and emotional well-being, along with the design principles that matter in high-stakes settings: reliable sources, careful evaluation, human accountability, and real concern for public trust.

Robb offers a clear framework for thinking about and developing AI, showing audiences how to distinguish genuinely human-centered uses from empty hype, what design principles matter most when trust is fragile, and where AI can support reflection and emotional well-being without pretending to replace therapists, relationships, or human judgment. Audiences walk away with a more grounded, useful way to think about AI: as a tool whose value depends on whether it helps people live better, more meaningful lives.

Happiness and Wellness

Making Your Work MatterFinding Meaning and Purpose on the Clock

More than anything else, people say they want their work to have meaning. But for most of us, that can be easier said than done. What does it take to find one’s work meaningful, and how can you get there? In this uplifting talk, Robb Willer discusses the major factors that lead people to see their work as having a higher purpose. Things like strengthening interpersonal connections in the workplace, and engaging in “prosocial behaviors”: actions that primarily benefit others, like generosity, charity and self-sacrifice. What can managers do to create an environment where employees feel like their work is valuable and essential? And how can employees reframe their understanding of their jobs—or restructure them—to be more invigorating and vital? After years of research, Robb knows that the most reliable path to these goals is thorough engaging in thoughtful prosocial behaviors. His research on generosity and prosocial behavior has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and 20/20—and he’ll share exactly how you can connect with the most inspired version of yourself at work, and in life.