Latest Book by DPP Global Advisor and
UD Student Mentor David F. Smallman
Explores Organizational Decision-Making
April 17, 2026
Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) Global Advisor David F. Smallman has published his second book, Questions from a Business Life, built around the answer to this vital question: What actually drives good decisions in any organization?
After more than 60 years working with businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations across 60-plus countries, David has come to believe that most problems are caused by poor judgment under pressure. Exploring this idea, Questions from a Business Life is structured as a series of direct questions drawn from real-world situations that are followed by clear answers shaped by experience.
The book investigates why businesses make avoidable errors, why leadership diminishes as processes intensify and how to foster confidence and trust in executive decisions. Throughout, it reflects the conversations that happen after meetings end, when people stop presenting and start asking what is really going on. Overall, it addresses underlying patterns of behavior, strategy and judgment found in professional life.
Questions from a Business Life is a follow-up to David’s previous book, Making Sense of Business, which was published in 2021 and also draws on his experiences with company expansions, business growth and change management. His commercial career has included working for multinational corporations and small- and medium-sized enterprises as well as building a successful consulting practice representing local and state governments.
David has helped dozens of firms build and develop their market presence. In the last 20 years, he also has helped numerous U.S. states grow their footprints in the wider world through economic development efforts in Europe and beyond. He has been a Global Advisor with DPP since 2018 and has supported the organization’s efforts throughout the United Kingdom and other European countries and at key events like the Global Underwater Hub’s Subsea Expo in Scotland.
He mentored the undergraduate team from the University of Southampton’s Southampton Business School that won the 2025 Universities Business Challenge. In Delaware, he has been part of the mentoring program for students at the University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business & Economics since last year.
