Author Daniel Pink Shares Science-Based Strategies for Navigating Change and Uncertainty

Daniel Pink, a bestselling author whose books bring the science of human behavior to lay readers, visited Yale SOM on October 23 to share strategies for making progress amid change.

“The path that you end up taking in life is not always the path that you envisioned,” Pink said, pointing to his own career trajectory. After graduating from Yale Law School, he worked in politics for several years before realizing he wanted to be a writer. Early in his writing career, Pink said, he focused primarily on his work being accurate and interesting; now, he strives for it to be useful as well.

“Spend less time planning out your life and more time just doing stuff and trying stuff and taking chances and doing what you really like to do,” he said. “Eventually, you will find your footing.”

His talk, “Five Ways to Navigate What’s Next,” was part of the R. Peter Straus Lecture Series, which brings distinguished speakers to campus to discuss topics related to the press and public responsibility. The event was moderated by student government health and wellness chair Rebekah Wellons ’26.

Pink is the author of several books, including Drive; When; and The Power of Regret, which have sold millions of copies worldwide. His work is grounded in social science research and focuses on the intersection of psychology, business, and society.

At SOM, Pink shared science-based tips to improve productivity, motivation, communication, and decision-making.

Referencing research from the University of Virginia, he highlighted a common cognitive bias: the instinct to solve problems by adding elements rather than subtracting. Subtractive changes can sometimes be more effective, Pink noted. He challenged the audience to create “to-don’t” lists to eliminate distractions and improve focus.

Citing a Harvard Business School study that identified progress as the greatest daily motivator, Pink asked the audience to write three ways they’ve made progress each day. This regular, reflective practice can help sustain motivation, he said.

Pink also discussed his World Regret Survey, a database of more than 26,000 regrets from people in 134 countries. As people age, he said, they tend to regret what they didn’t do. He urged the audience to self-distance when making difficult decisions—for example, by imagining how they’d advise a friend in a similar situation—and to cultivate a bias toward action, encouraging the audience to “plan less and do more.”

“Acting can be a prelude to understanding,” he said. “If you’re trying to figure something out, sitting there for another hour, week, or year might not be the way to do it. The way to do it might be to act.”