The Provocateurs Episode 40 | Dan Pink: Why Leaders Keep Getting Motivation Wrong (and How to Fix It)

About this episode

Dan Pink discusses the misconceptions of motivation in leadership and how to effectively harness human performance.

Daniel Pink is one of the world's foremost authorities on work motivation and human behavior. His seven best-selling books include Drive, To Sell Is Human, When, The Power of Regret, and A Whole New Mind. Recorded in London’s historic Guildhall during the Thinkers50 London Summit & Awards Gala in November 2025, this conversation features Dan in dialogue with Provocateurs hosts Des Dearlove, Thinkers50 co-founder, and Geoff Tuff, Deloitte’s Global and US Sustainability Leader for Energy, Resources, and Industrials. In this episode we discover: • Why traditional “carrot and stick” motivators don’t work at work – and the three reasons organizations still cling to them • The three key forces that genuinely drive human performance: autonomy, mastery, and purpose • The three blind spots preventing leaders from unleashing these forces in their organizations Dan also challenges the tendency towards dehumanization in leadership and reveals how the emotion of regret, when properly harnessed, can transform leaders into better negotiators, problem solvers, and strategists. He leaves us with one provocative question every executive should ask before making major decisions: What will the you…

People in this episode

Host: Des Dearlove

Guest: Dan Pink

Topics covered

• motivation
• leadership
• human behavior
• performance

Keywords

• autonomy
• mastery
• purpose
• regret
• negotiation

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Drive, To Sell Is Human, When, The Power of Regret, A Whole New Mind

Books & works: The Provocateurs, Drive, To Sell Is Human, The Power of Regret, A Whole New Mind

Places: London

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