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Wendy K. Smith
Professor; Author of BOTH/AND THINKING; Advocate for bold and impactful leadership; Director of the Women's Leadership Initiative at University of Delaware; Both/and thinker
Wendy K. Smith is the Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware. She also serves as the faculty director of the Women's Leadership Initiative. Smith earned her PhD in organizational behavior from Harvard Business School, where she focused her research on strategic paradoxes—how leaders and teams navigate contradictory yet interdependent demands.
Her work has garnered significant recognition, including multiple Web of Science Highly Cited Research Awards from 2019 to 2021, marking her as one of the top 1% most-cited researchers in her field. Smith has published extensively in leading academic journals and has been involved in teaching and mentoring at various levels, including MBA programs and executive education.
In addition to her academic roles, Smith is a co-author of the book Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems, released in August 2022. This work explores how embracing competing demands can lead to more innovative and sustainable solutions in business contexts. She has also been an influential speaker and educator, working with executives globally to enhance their leadership capabilities.1234
Smith resides in Philadelphia with her family, which includes her husband, three children, and a dog.12