Skip to main content

Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld

  • Why CEOs Are Reaching Out to the New President

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that business leaders are engaging with the new administration because they want to collaborate on areas of shared interest—and steer Trump away from ill-advised policies.

    The U.S. Capitol, decorated for Inauguration Day
  • The Lessons for CEOs in the Turmoil at the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times

    As they ended political endorsements at their respective newspapers, writes Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld , Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong provided a master class in how not to announce and explain a sudden change in direction.

    Jeff Bezos in front of a screen with the Washington Post logo
  • In Defense Of Dual-Class Shares

    The two-tiered structures, which offer more voting power to some shareholders, are frequently maligned. But Yale SOM leadership and corporate governance expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that they endow companies with a host of advantages, including a better return to investors.‌

    An illustration of a pie chart with a hand putting a fork into each segment
  • How Jimmy Carter Lost His Job and Found His Mission: A Personal Remembrance

    Drawing on a decades-long relationship with Carter, Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld reflects on the vast achievements and sometimes bewildering contradictions in his post-presidency.

    Jimmy Carter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
  • What Will the Return of Trump Mean for Connecticut’s Economy?

    Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write that the president-elect’s policies could have disruptive effects on some of the state’s most important industries, for better and for worse.

    The General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. 
  • A Very Un-American Response to the Murder of Brian Thompson

    Disturbingly, a vocal fringe has cheered the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, write Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian, but most Americans admire business leaders and see them as a stabilizing force.

    Police at the site of the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on December 04, 2024.
  • The Good, the Bad, and the Unpredictable in Trump’s Cabinet

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Stephan Henriques write that some of the picks are reassuring, some seem designed to sow chaos, and some are wild cards, with the potential to tip the balance in either direction.

    The cabinet room at the White House, from behind the president's chair
  • Anti-Business Sentiment Is Uniting Political Opposites

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that populist voices on the left and right have found common ground in attacking big business.

    Red and blue fists in front of skyscrapers
  • How CEOs Should Navigate the Trump Presidency

    Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that business leaders should engage with the new administration—and remain unified on issues of shared concern.

    Voters in Foster City, California, watch election-night coverage. 
  • Don’t Trust the Political Prediction Markets

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, co-author Steven Tian, and investor and former White House staffer Anthony Scaramucci write that the markets have extremely low trading volume—which makes it easy to manipulate them.

    A split screen of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debating, with buttons to buy "yes" or "no" contracts for each of them