Leadership
How ‘Refounding’ Can Save a Company That Has Lost Its Way
Jon Iwata of Yale SOM’s Program on Stakeholder Innovation and Management found that companies can counter drift by revisiting their history to rediscover their original purpose and capabilities.
Remote Work Is Linked to a Decline in Financial Misconduct
A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s John Barrios finds that firms better positioned to shift to remote work during the pandemic experienced a sharp decline in financial misconduct. The likely reason: remote work raised the cost of sustaining collusion.
Firms with a Well-Paid Chief Human Resources Officer Build More Effective Workforces
A new study co-authored by Prof. Edward Watts finds that firms that invest in the human capital function through higher pay to its leader have more productive and happier workers.
Are Leaders Responsible for Employee Wellbeing?
We asked Yale SOM leadership expert David Tate how leaders can create environments that support wellbeing without sacrificing rigor, accountability, or results.
Facing an Uproar, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Showed Why He’s an Effective Leader
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff sparked controversy when he seemed to be inviting President Donald Trump to send National Guard troops to San Francisco during the company’s Dreamforce conference. Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Stephen Henriques write that Benioff demonstrated his usual deftness in defusing the issue and overseeing a successful event.
Elon Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Pay Package Is Just Bad Corporate Governance
Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Stephen Henriques write that the gargantuan package proposed by Tesla—based on a series of implausible performance targets—suggests a board in thrall to its charismatic, erratic CEO.
How Corporate Jargon Obscures the Truth and Fuels Disaster
When executives spew business buzzwords, writes Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, their colleagues are often just as confused as the rest of us.
Tim Cook Is Still the Right Leader for Apple
Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian argue that Cook’s unmatched track record makes him uniquely positioned to steer the company into its next phase of innovation and growth.
Can Mark Zuckerberg Spend His Way to AI Success?
Meta has lured a string of top researchers from rivals with nine-figure pay packages in an effort to close the gap with AI leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. But splashy hires rarely end up rescuing flailing enterprises, write Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian.
The Lessons from Pope Francis for the Class of 2025
Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld reflects on what the next generation of leaders can learn from the late pope.
When Crises Hit, Shovel-Ready Ideas Can Get Greenlighted Quickly
Frontline staff and managers often face years of resistance and red tape when they try to improve organizational processes. But a Yale SOM study suggests that crises can create windows of opportunity to get those changes implemented—if advocates move fast and demonstrate the short- and long-term value of their ideas.
