Harper Reed
CTO, Obama for America 2012 | CEO, 2389 Research Inc. | Founder, Modest Inc. (Acq. PayPal) | AI, Big Data & Digital Innovation Expert
Stew Friedman
Practice Professor of Management Emeritus, The Wharton School | Creator of Total Leadership | Authority on Work/Life Integration | Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award
Stew Friedman is the world's foremost authority on work/life integration and a beloved Wharton professor emeritus. The creator of Total Leadership and its "four-way win," and a Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award winner, he rejects the zero-sum myth of "balance." On stage, he gives audiences a practical, hopeful framework for being a better leader and having a richer life, at work, at home, in the community, and for themselves.
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Stew Friedman biography
Stew Friedman is the world’s foremost authority on work/life integration and one of the most influential voices on leadership as a whole-life pursuit. A beloved Wharton professor, organizational psychologist, and bestselling author, he has spent more than three decades dismantling the idea that success at work must come at the expense of family, community, and self, and giving leaders a practical, proven alternative.
Leadership speaker Stew Friedman is Practice Professor of Management Emeritus at the Wharton School, where he joined the faculty in 1984 and founded both the Wharton Leadership Program and the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project in 1991. He is best known for creating Total Leadership, a program built around the pursuit of “four-way wins”, performing better at work, at home, in the community, and for oneself, all at once. Rejecting the zero-sum metaphor of “work/life balance,” Friedman argues that these domains can reinforce rather than compete with one another, an idea that has reshaped how individuals and companies think about leadership and life.
Total Leadership and the Four-Way Win
Friedman’s ideas were forged in practice as much as in research. During a leave from Wharton, he served as the senior executive for leadership development at Ford Motor Company, where he launched Total Leadership as part of a culture transformation that engaged more than 2,500 managers a year and earned Ford “global benchmark” status. He is the author of the bestsellers Total Leadership and Leading the Life You Want, along with Parents Who Lead and Baby Bust, and his Harvard Business Review work has been named among the “Ideas That Shaped Management.” Recognized by Thinkers50 every cycle since 2011 and honored with its 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award as the world’s leading thinker on talent, he has advised organizations from the United Nations to two White House administrations, and inspires what The New York Times called “rock star adoration” among his students. He holds a PhD in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan.
As a speaker, Stew Friedman is known for high-energy, deeply human keynotes that send audiences home with tools they can use immediately. He speaks on work/life integration and the four-way win, leadership as a whole-person endeavor, building cultures that boost both performance and well-being, and leading with purpose through change. Audiences leave not with guilt about trade-offs but with a practical, hopeful framework for being a better leader and having a richer life.
Stew Friedman Speaking Videos
Stew Friedman on Total Leadership at World Business Forum , Lincoln Center in NYC
Leading the Life You Want | Stew Friedman | Talks at Google
Stew Friedman Keynote Topics
Drawing on his bestselling program, Friedman dismantles the zero-sum belief that winning at work means losing everywhere else. He shows how leaders can pursue "four-way wins", performing better at work, at home, in the community, and for themselves, and gives audiences a practical, field-tested method for aligning their actions with their values and the people who matter most.
Friedman argues that "work/life balance" is the wrong goal, implying a constant trade-off in which something must always be sacrificed. He offers integration instead: a way to make the different parts of life reinforce one another. Audiences learn how to reject the trade-off mindset and design a life of greater harmony, performance, and meaning.
Great leadership, Friedman shows, begins with being clear about what matters most and acting with intention. He shares skills for leading change, in organizations and in one's own life, by strengthening relationships across every domain, experimenting intelligently, and building the resilience and support needed to navigate constant disruption.
Based on his book with Alyssa Westring, Friedman speaks to the specific challenge of leading well while raising a family. He offers working parents a practical approach to aligning career and family around shared values, creating four-way wins that benefit their organizations, their loved ones, their communities, and themselves.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Stew Friedman
Why Stew Friedman?
Booking Stew Friedman gives audiences the definitive authority on one of the most universal challenges people face: how to succeed at work without sacrificing everything else that matters. A beloved Wharton professor whose students greet him with what The New York Times called "rock star adoration," he pairs decades of rigorous research with real-world experience transforming culture at Ford and advising organizations from the UN to the White House. Recognized by Thinkers50 every cycle since 2011 and named its top thinker on talent, he delivers high-energy, deeply human keynotes that leave audiences with immediately usable tools rather than guilt. He is an ideal speaker for events on leadership, culture, talent, well-being, and the future of work. To bring Stew Friedman to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Stew Friedman?
Stew Friedman is an American organizational psychologist, bestselling author, and Practice Professor of Management Emeritus at the Wharton School, where he has been on the faculty since 1984. He founded the Wharton Leadership Program and the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, and created the Total Leadership program while serving as a senior executive at Ford Motor Company. The author of Total Leadership and Leading the Life You Want, he has been recognized by Thinkers50 every cycle since 2011 and received its 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award as the world's leading thinker on talent. He holds a PhD from the University of Michigan.
What is Total Leadership?
Total Leadership is the program and philosophy created by Stew Friedman, built on the idea that real leadership means performing well in all four domains of life: work, home, community, and self (mind, body, and spirit). Rather than treating these as competing claims in a zero-sum game, Total Leadership helps people pursue "four-way wins", actions that improve performance and satisfaction in all four areas at once. Rooted in being real (clarifying what matters), being whole (respecting the whole person), and being innovative (experimenting with how things get done), the program has been used by individuals and companies worldwide.
What topics does leadership speaker Stew Friedman cover?
Stew Friedman speaks on work/life integration and the "four-way win," Total Leadership, leadership as a whole-person endeavor, leading with purpose through change, and leadership for working parents. His keynotes suit events on leadership, culture, talent, well-being, and the future of work. To book Stew Friedman as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Stew Friedman as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Stew Friedman as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Stew Friedman's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Stew Friedman or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Stew Friedman speaking fee?
Stew Friedman speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Stew Friedman to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Stew Friedman.
How can I contact Stew Friedman?
We only work with Stew Friedman on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Stew Friedman and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Stew Friedman speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Stew Friedman for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Stew Friedman for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Stew Friedman is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Stew Friedman for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
