Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
A Year Later, Most CEOs Are Keeping Their Post-Insurrection Promises
Recent news stories have asserted that corporate leaders are reneging on their pledges to withhold contributions to members of Congress who voted against certifying election results on January 6, 2021. But Yale SOM's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who hosted one of the meetings where those pledges were made, writes that CEOs remain deeply troubled by threats to democracy, and that campaign records show that most corporate PACs aren't giving to election objectors.
GE’s Split Unravels a Massive Management Mistake
General Electric CEO Larry Culp announced this week that the company would split into three separate firms. Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that Culp was acknowledging the failure of an approach—the highly diversified industrial conglomerate—that dates back to Jack Welch’s tenure in the 1980s.
No, Machiavelli Did Not Say It’s Better to Be Feared Than Loved
The leadership lesson attributed to Machiavelli’s The Prince is one of many truisms that are frequently distorted for ideological purposes, writes Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. Such distortions can lead to flawed decision-making in the boardroom, according to Sonnenfeld.
How Leaders Can Fend Off Unwanted Email Introductions
Leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld offers advice for CEOs who are repeatedly ambushed by former associates playing online matchmaker.
Soaring COVID Rates in the South Show Why We Need Vaccine Mandates
The data shows that low vaccination rates in southern states are leading to thousands of needless deaths, write Albert Ko of the Yale School of Public Health and Anjani Jain and Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of Yale SOM.
COVID Outcomes in Two States Show That Leadership Matters
Yale SOM’s Anjani Jain and Jeffrey Sonnenfeld on how the rhetoric and policies of Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Ned Lamont of Connecticut have shaped their states’ responses to the resurgence of COVID-19—with profound implications for their constituents.
When Should CEOs Speak Out?
Many corporate leaders are overcoming their hesitancy about wading into divisive social issues. Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld offers some guidelines for when and how business leaders should weigh in.
Leadership Lessons for Biden after the Afghanistan Withdrawal
Yale SOM's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld offers advice for the president on recovering from his missteps, drawn from Sonnenfeld's decades of studies of business and political leadership.
The Compromise Infrastructure Bill Reflects the Public’s Priorities
The infrastructure bill that advanced in the Senate this week doesn’t please partisans on either side. But an analysis from Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld shows a rough correspondence with the objectives favored by the public in polls.
Why Silence Is Not Golden for CEOs
Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that companies have an interest in preserving democracy and other fundamental social issues, and silence is not an option for responsible CEOs.
