Stewart D. Friedman

Stew Friedman is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School, where he has been since 1984 and is now Emeritus Practice Professor of Management. In 1991 he founded both the Wharton Leadership Program and the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project. Friedman has been recognized by the biennial Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers every cycle since 2011, was honored with its 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award as the #1 expert in the field of talent, and in 2023 was inducted in its Hall of Fame. He was listed among HR Magazine’s most influential thought leaders, chosen by Working Mother as one of America’s most influential men who have made life better for working parents, and presented with the Families and Work Institute’s Work Life Legacy Award. Following his stint as worldwide head of leadership development at Ford (1999–2001), Friedman founded Total Leadership, a management training and consulting company. He has won many teaching awards (The New York Times cited the “rock star adoration” he inspires in his students) and is an in-demand speaker, coach, and advocate for family-supportive policies in the private and public sectors. His books include Baby Bust, 10th Anniversary Edition: New Choices for Men and Women in Work and Family (Wharton School Press, 2023); Parents Who Lead: The Leadership Approach You Need to Parent with Purpose, Fuel Your Career, and Create a Richer Life (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020); Leading the Life You Want: Skills for Integrating Work and Life (Harvard Business Review Press, 2014); and Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life (Harvard Business Review Press, 2008), among others.