The writing of this book has been paradoxical on many fronts. The tensions we experienced and embraced in this process opened our minds and opportunities. Our gratitude to all who empowered us in this journey is overwhelming. Paradoxically, as we make special mentions here, we know we also inadvertently left people out. For that we apologize up front and we look forward to saying thank you personally!

Individual creativity arises through collective interactions. While our names are on the cover of this book, these ideas emerged from the inspiration and support of so many others. Our academic mentors and colleagues helped us engage deeply with paradox over the past twenty-five years. We are grateful to be part of such a generous and generative community of scholars. Both of us launched our careers with advisers who encouraged our seemingly rebellious dissertations. We are grateful to the mentorship of Michael Tushman, Amy Edmondson, Ellen Langer, Richard Hackman, Andy Grimes, and Keith Provan. As we developed our own ideas about paradox, we stood on the shoulders of giants who expanded insights about paradox long before us. We have vivid memories of cherished and energizing discussions with so many of these great scholars including Jean Bartunek, Michael Beer, David Berg, Kim Cameron, Stewart Clegg, Kathy Eisenhardt, Charles Hampden-Turner, Charles Handy, Barry Johnson, Ann Langley, Linda Putnam, Bob Quinn, Kenwyn Smith, Tom Peters, and Russ Vince. Paula Jarzabkowski recognized the power of studying paradox globally when we were still developing our ideas. She helped us convene our first subtrack at the European Group for Organizational Studies in 2010. This subtrack brought together an international community of scholars—a community that continues to grow and through which we developed vital relationships and deepened our research insights. We treasure our many coauthors who advanced paradox theory along with us while bringing joy and fun to the research process, including Costas Andriopoulos, Rebecca Bednarek, Marya Besharov, Ken Boyer, Gordon Dehler, Manto Gotsi, Amy Ingram, Josh Keller, Lotte Lüscher, Ella Miron-Spektor, Miguel Pina e Cunha, Sebastian Raisch, Jonathan Schad, Mathew Sheep, Natalie Slawinski, Chamu Sundaramurthy, Connie Van der Byl, and Ann Welsh. We also value those who have developed these ideas in their own research while encouraging this global community to thrive. We have connected with and learned from so many amazing people, including Ina Aust, Marco Berti, Simone Carmine, Gail Fairhurst, Medhanie Gaim, Angela Greco, Tobias Hahn, Katrin Heucher, Michael Jarrett, Eric Knight, Marc Krautzberger, Jane Lê, Valerie Michaud, Voni Pamphile, Camille Pradies, Stephanie Schrage, Garima Sharma, Harald Tuckermann, and Robert Wright. And in a call to future generations, we offer a shout out to Shay Karmatz for being a paradoxical thinker at such a young age.

A broader community of colleagues supported us along the way with advice, insights, feedback, and friendship. We connected with many of these colleagues through our home and visiting institutions, including the Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware; the Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati; Bayes Business School; Harvard Business School; University of Cambridge; and Nova School of Business. We are grateful to so many people in these institutions and beyond, some of whom deserve special mention for their support and friendship, including Andy Binns, Dolly Chugh, Amanda Cowen, Shasa Dobrow, Laura Empson, Erica Ariel Fox, Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler, Adam Grant, Elaine Hollensbe, Johanna Ilfeld, Adam Kleinbaum, Suzanne Masterson, Jennifer Petriglieri, Tony Silard, Jo Silvester, Scott Sonenshein, Neil Stott, Paul Tracey, and BJ Zirger.

Writing this book has been a challenge and a joy. I, Marianne, deeply value the Fulbright Scholars Program, which provided me with the time and space to launch my research and write this book. That sabbatical exposed me to greater tensions across business, academia, and my career, enabling tremendous serendipity.

During the crux of its writing, I, Wendy, came to treasure the team at University of Delaware’s Women’s Leadership Initiative: Amanda Bullough, Elizabeth Calio, Lynn Evans, and Amy Stengel. You all made me realize how paradoxical the world is while helping me recognize how fun it can be to navigate these paradoxes together. Thank you also to Barbara Roche, my co-facilitator in our Women’s Leadership Forum, for late-night pep talks and informal coaching to get this book written. I am also grateful to my group at the National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development—Maurice Stevens, Chrys Demetry, and Josee Johnston—as well as the wisdom of Rena Selzer, coach extraordinaire; all these colleagues helped me make sure I made the time and space to write this book. Finally, I feel blessed with varied communities of friends from Boston, Mt. Airy, Israel, and Yale University. Their periodic check-ins and ongoing friendship offered support and motivation.

The resulting book reflects synergies of academic insight and real-world experience. To that end, we feel indebted to leaders who so adeptly navigate persistent paradoxes and took the time to share with us their experiences and approaches. We are grateful to have learned from Zita Cobb, Stephen Cosgrove, Jeremy Hockenstein, Barry Johnson, Terri Kelly, Janet Perna, Paul Polman, and Kerry Ann Rockquemore. One reason that we wrote this book was to share their inspiring stories with the rest of the world. We hope we did justice to depicting the courage and wisdom of their paradoxical leadership. We are grateful for other leaders who helped extend our understanding of both/and thinking, such as Michael Chertok, Diane Eshleman, Jason Field, Jason Fox, Tammy Ganc, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Vernon Hills, Diane Hodgins, Chandra Irvin, Jake Jacobs, Muhtar Kent, Marvin Kolodzik, Susan Kilsby, Nikos Mourkogiannis, Jeff Seabright, Dick Thornburgh, Mike Ullman, Matt Utterback, Marty Wikstrom, and Nancy Zimpher.

Ideas are only valuable when shared with a broader audience. To that end, we are grateful to fabulous people who work in publishing and who helped bring this book to the world. We knew our dream would become a reality the moment we started working with Leila Campoli as our agent. Leila deeply understands the publishing world. She also immediately grasped our vision for this book. She helped us bring our vision to life in every step of the publishing process. When we started to work with Kevin Evers as our editor, we knew that our dream could be bigger than we imagined. Kevin offered a vital blend of support and challenge. He valued our core insights while encouraging us to be clearer, stronger, and more succinct. Leila and Kevin, you proved a magical combination. Thank you! Further, we appreciate the broader “village” at Harvard Business Review Press, which continues to make this book better, including its impressive talent in design, copyediting, publishing, marketing, publicity, and other aspects of a book’s life.

In the yin-yang of life, our families provide the bedrock from where we can advance our intellectual pursuits. Our personal foundations truly empowered our professional achievements.

I, Wendy, am grateful to those who led the way before me, modeling perseverance and dedication. My parents, Jewel and Larry Smith, provided me the brilliant mixture of acceptance and advancement. You are always proud of who I am in the moment while inspiring me to continually grow, learn, and achieve. My mother-in-law, Rhoda Posner Pruce, demonstrated ongoing curiosity about my work. Thank you for sending emails about both/and ideas and for editing parts of my writing with your eye for detail. I am forever grateful to my sister, Heather Martin, who is the perfect blend of pragmatic and optimistic, with an enviable sense of humor. I am so lucky to experience all of these in our daily (or multiple times a day!) conversations. I am in awe of the ways that I learn every day from my children, Yael, Jonah, and Ari. The three of you constantly point out both/ands that you see in the world while demonstrating the creativity of both/and thinking in your own ideas, actions, and relationships. I know that the world will be a better place with each of you sharing your paradoxical gifts. Finally, Michael, you have truly been the yin to my yang. You model for me new ways of thinking about the world. You challenge me to be a better version of myself. Your unwavering belief in this book, in me, and in what is possible strengthens me every day.

I, Marianne, am blessed by those who have taught me the synergistic power of high standards and unwavering values, bolstered by unconditional love and support. Kim and my kids, Jason, Samson, and Franny—words cannot express my love. You are core to my why. This book, its underlying research, and my leadership could not have developed without your encouragement and patience. Further, I cherish my parents, Steve and Margaret Wheelwright, and siblings, Melinda Brown, Kristy Taylor, Matt Wheelwright, and Spencer Wheelwright. I learn from you daily, valuing your inspiration as we nurture the next generations—Wesley, Cyrus, and beyond. And special thanks to my father, my most treasured mentor. Thank you for modeling the way. As thought leader, academic leader, and, most importantly, family leader, you have taught me to embrace love and discipline, confidence and humility, planning and innovation, the personal and the professional.

Finally, we are grateful to you, the reader. You are the ones living in and navigating paradoxes. You bring the ideas of this book to life. We hope that we can all engage with paradox to enable a more sustainable, creative, and thriving world.