AI Workplace and Culture Series 07 - Old World, New Tech: Navigating AI with Both/And Thinking with Dr. Wendy Smith

We're adding one more episode to our AI, Workplace and Culture series. Dr. Wendy Smith has spent her career studying paradox and it turns out that's exactly the lens we need for AI right now. We opened the conversation with a Threads post from @samanthahoilett.writes: "It's so hard to talk about AI because the people who love it don't wanna talk about its limitations and harms...and the people who hate it don't wanna talk about its merits and benefits. I'm truly somewhere in the middle and it's tough out here, especially in a world/internet that demands we pick a side." Wendy had a lot to say to that. **What We Talked About** Wendy walked us through why we default to either/or thinking in the first place. She made the case that the invitation isn't to find the middle ground or compromise, but to actually hold both things at once and see what becomes possible. We dug into what that looks like in practice for leaders navigating AI right now: how to surface tension rather than suppress it, how to be transparent about your process when you don't have all the answers, and why asking questions out loud actually builds more trust with your team than projecting false certainty. Wendy also introduced the tightrope walker as a metaphor. Both/And thinking doesn't mean perfect integration at every moment. It means making consistent micro-shifts so you never overextend so far in one direction that you lose the other. **Key Takeaways** - You don't have to pick a side on AI. The pressure to have a clear point of view comes largely from fear of uncertainty — and that fear is what drives either/or thinking in the first place. - Framing tension as neutral, not threatening, is a leadership skill. What you surface, you can work with. What you suppress becomes a problem. - The tightrope walker is never fully balanced. They're always balancing. - Both small experiments and formal power matter. Knowledge, networks, and reliability are all sources of influence available to leaders at every level right now. **About Wendy Smith** Wendy Smith is the Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management at the University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business and Economics. She is a recent recipient of the Francis Alison Award, the University of Delaware's highest faculty honor, awarded annually to the faculty member who best embodies the ideal of scholar and teacher. As a leading expert in Paradox Thinking, her work helps leaders and organizations thrive by embracing competing demands and navigating complexity effectively. Her research centers on Paradox Theory, focusing on how leaders address competing forces such as innovation and existing products, social and financial goals or global and local demands by engaging a both/and approach. This work has been featured in top journals, including Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, and Harvard Business Review. She has received numerous accolades, including the Web of Science Highly Cited Research Award for seven consecutive years (2019-2025). Wendy is the co-author of Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems (Harvard Business School Publishing, 2022) and the Oxford Handbook of Organizational Paradox (Oxford University Press, 2017). She teaches leadership, organizational behavior, and ethics, and is a sought-after keynote speaker helping global audiences understand the power of embracing paradox — transforming conflict into collaboration, fostering innovation through Both/And Thinking, and thriving in uncertainty. Connect with Wendy at WendyKSmith.com. Her Paradox Mindset Scale is available there as well — we're both planning to take it. **We Want to Hear From You** What tension are you navigating right now? Send your thoughts to podcast@cocreatework.com and subscribe to our newsletter at cocreatework.com. As always, thank you for your leadership. Resources: - Leading through growth takes intention. Our capabilities deck shows how we help founders and leadership teams lead boldly and build cultures that scale. - Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership. We would love to connect with you! - CoCreate Work on LinkedIn - CoCreate Work on Instagram - La’Kita on Instagram - Chloe on Instagram - Visit our Podcast Page Questions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at [podcast@cocreatework.com](mailto:podcast@cocreatework.com)