In the Season 1 finale of Direct Application, host Matt Harrington sits down with Dr. David Yeager, bestselling author of 10–25: The Science of Motivating Young People, for a timely and practical conversation on leadership, motivation, and the future of work. Dr. Yeager’s research challenges one of the most common — and costly — assumptions in organizations today: that young people ages 10 to 25 are inherently immature or incompetent. Instead, he reframes adolescence and early adulthood as a distinct developmental window where status, respect, belonging, and purpose are the primary drivers of engagement and performance. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Dr. David Yeager, PhD is a developmental and social psychologist, bestselling author, and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He co-founded the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute and is widely recognized for his cutting-edge research on adolescent development, motivation, and belief systems. Before his research career, Dr. Yeager was a middle school teacher and basketball coach, experiences that deeply inform his scientific work and practical lens on learning and leadership. Dr. Yeager’s scholarship spans randomized field experiments and developmental science aimed at understanding how social-cognitive processes shape motivation, engagement, resilience, and achievement during transitional phases such as the shift to high school and college. His work has been published in leading academic journals and featured in major outlets including The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, The Guardian, and The Atlantic. He is the author of the bestselling book 10–25: The Science of Motivating Young People, which draws from decades of research — including collaborations with renowned scholars like Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth — and offers evidence-based frameworks for motivating, supporting, and leading young people in schools, workplaces, and communities. Dr. Yeager holds a PhD and MA from Stanford University and a BA and MEd from the University of Notre Dame. His work challenges outdated assumptions about youth competence and reframes how leaders of all kinds can tap into universal human drives for status, respect, and belonging to unlock potential across generations. IN THIS EPISODE Together, Matt and David explore how leaders, managers, and organizations can apply these insights directly in the workplace — without lowering standards or sacrificing results: Why the ages 10–25 represent a critical developmental phase that impacts today’s workforce How status and respect function as universal currencies of motivation across generations What the Mentor Mindset looks like in real-world organizations — from corporate teams to frontline work Why traditional “command and control” management backfires with young talent How small shifts in communication and feedback can reduce turnover and increase performance What leaders can do differently as they prepare for the next generation of workers and leaders This conversation is packed with research-backed insights, real examples, and clear takeaways for executives, managers, HR professionals, educators, coaches, and anyone leading across generations. As we close out Season 1, this episode invites leaders to rethink how they motivate, develop, and retain young talent — and how doing so can build stronger cultures, better performance, and more sustainable leadership for the future. 🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more🌐 Learn more at www.HarringtonBrands.com CONNECT WITH DAVID YEAGER The Book: 10 to 25 - The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation—And Making Your Own Life Easier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-yeager-3713905/ University: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/yeagerdshttps://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/yeagerds
