Skip to main content

Leadership

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.
  • CEOs Need More Face Time, Not FaceTime

    Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld explains how effective business leaders make the best use of face-to-face meetings with employees around the world.

    A business jet on a runway at twilight
  • The Best Leaders Use Intuition

    In an excerpt from her new book, Yale SOM’s Emma Seppälä writes that drawing on instinct as well as analysis can help us make better decisions.

    An illustration of butterflies around a woman's face, with a human figure on top of one of them
  • Who Is the Leader to Put Boeing Back on Course?

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a longtime observer of the company, and co-author Steven Tian consider five likely candidates to succeed CEO Dave Calhoun, who will step down at the end of the year.

    A plane over a runway
  • What Bob Iger’s Critics Get Wrong about His Performance at Disney

    Disney is embroiled in a proxy fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz ahead of its annual shareholder meeting next week. Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write that Peltz and other critics of CEO Bob Iger are relying on a series of myths that don’t hold up to scrutiny.

    Bob Iger
  • How Boeing Can Restore Trust

    The blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Air 737 MAX 9 earlier this month is just the latest incident casting doubt on the safety culture of the aerospace giant. Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a longtime observer of Boeing, and co-author Steven Tian offer a series of steps to rebuild its internal processes and win back the trust of airlines and the public.

    An airplane fuselage with plastic sheeting over an opening
  • Triumph and Disaster: The Best and Worst CEOs of 2023

    Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian highlight the three best- and worst-performing CEOs of 2023—and hint at what’s ahead for each of them in the new year.

    Marc Benioff speaking
  • Raise the Bar: Research-Based Ideas to Improve Your 2024

    Harness your own creativity, learn to leverage Chat GPT, and have some fun are three of the suggestions from our faculty to help you make your new year healthier, more rewarding, and more prosperous.

    illustration of a person climbing a bar chart
  • The Breathing Technique that Can Make You a Better Leader

    Yale SOM’s Emma Seppälä found that a weeklong training in the SKY Breath technique provides a lasting reduction in anxiety and greater resilience to stress, even for those who don’t continue to practice it.

    A graphic of a woman meditating
  • What Went Wrong at OpenAI?

    Days after he was suddenly fired, CEO Sam Altman returned to OpenAI on November 21, and the board that removed him was overhauled. We asked leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld how the company’s structure and the performance of the board contributed to the chaos.

    Sam Altman
  • The Budget Deal Is a Tragedy for Ukraine

    With hours to go before a government shutdown, Congress passed a short-term spending bill—but the deal came at the cost of aid for Ukraine. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that even if a separate funding bill eventually passes, the move weakens the coalition against Russia.

    Abrams tanks