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Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld

  • Apple’s CEO Transition Signals Strength, Not Uncertainty

    Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian argue that Apple is executing a model succession, with the transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus positioning the company to embed AI at scale across its global hardware ecosystem.

    John Ternus speaking in front of blown-up images of iMac computers
  • Why Trump Puts His Name on Everything

    The president’s relentless self-branding is intended to signal success and sustain authority, Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian argue, but beneath the gold-plated surface lies a deeper fragility.

    A poster of the Trump Gold Card in the Oval Office next to a bust of George Washington
  • America’s CEOs Have Become Reluctant Guardians of Democracy

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Stephen Henriques argue that as trust in U.S. institutions erodes, business leaders are increasingly compelled to serve as policy advocates, diplomats, and defenders of democratic norms.

    Statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in a wide-angle view of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda
  • The Method in Trump’s Madness

    In an excerpt from his new book, Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld describes his personal history with Donald Trump and argues that the 45th and 47th president’s seemingly chaotic approach masks a consistent, if unconventional, strategic playbook.

    Donald Trump speaking surrounded by microphones
  • Trump Shouts Loudly and Fumbles a Big Stick

    In recent weeks, Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write, the president’s usual approach of bullying with coercion, threats, and retribution has backfired on multiple fronts.

    Donald Trump speaking at a press conference with reporters' hands raised
  • Netflix Will Win the Fight Over Warner—Even If It Loses

    Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Stephen Henriques write that either Netflix will succeed in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery and its crown-jewel assets, or it will get to watch as rival Paramount takes on massive debt and risk.

    AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
  • Oil Isn’t the Real Reason Behind the Venezuela Operation

    The oil industry is in the midst of a supply gut, producing millions of barrels per day above demand. Prices are low and major companies in the sector are contracting. According to Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, these economic facts undercut President Trump’s intimations of an oil bonanza in Venezuela.

    Oil well in Venezuela
  • How Should Business Leaders Respond to the U.S. Military Operation in Venezuela?

    Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld provides CEOs with advice and factors to consider in the wake of the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

    Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores being taken off a helicopter
  • It’s Time to Call Putin’s Bluff

    Russia’s bluster at the negotiating table masks an economy hollowed out by war and sanctions, write Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Tymofiy Mylovanov of the Kyiv School of Economics, and co-author Stephen Henriques.

    Vladimir Putin seen through a crowd of people
  • Connecticut Charts a New Course on Affordable Housing

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Stephen Henriques write that a new comprehensive housing law gives Connecticut towns a clearer, more flexible framework for developing housing growth plans.

    An apartment building under construction