Stewart D. Friedman

Stewart D. Friedman is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School, where has been on the faculty since 1984 and is now emeritus. In 1991 he founded Wharton’s Leadership Program and its Work/Life Integration Project. Friedman has been recognized by the biennial Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, was honored with its 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award as the foremost expert in the field of talent, and was inducted in its Hall of Fame in 2023. He was listed among HR Magazine’s most influential thought leaders, chosen by Working Mother as one of America’s 25 most influential men who have made life better for working parents, and presented with the Families and Work Institute’s Work Life Legacy Award.

While on leave from Wharton from 1999 to 2001, Friedman was the senior executive responsible for leadership development at Ford Motor Company. There he created Total Leadership, a program now delivered by his Total Leadership training and consulting company to individuals and organizations worldwide, measurably improving performance and well-being in all parts of life. His research is widely cited and is included among Harvard Business Review’s “ideas that shaped management.” He has written two bestselling books, Total Leadership and Leading the Life You Want. Winner of numerous teaching awards, Friedman inspires students’ “rock star adoration,” according to the New York Times. Friedman is an in-demand speaker, coach, workshop leader, and advocate for public and private sector policy that supports children and families. He hosts the popular podcast Work and Life with Stew Friedman, which is based on his SiriusXM Wharton Business Radio show.