In a frank discussion about the mechanics of President Donald Trump’s rise to power, longtime Yale leadership scholar (and regular wealth Contributor) Jeffrey Sonnenfeld warns that the president’s chaotic style is often mistaken for incompetence, when in fact it’s just a calculated strategy. talking about angry moderates In a podcast with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarloff, Sonnenfeld laid out the arguments for his new book, Trump’s Ten Commandmentswhile explaining that Trump is “as stupid as a fox” and that business leaders underestimate him at their own peril.
Sonnenfeld, who frequently convenes top CEOs to discuss civic engagement at Yale’s CEO Leadership Institute, pushed back against the idea that Trump’s controversial behavior was impulsive. “Trump often comes off as convincingly ignorant, but that doesn’t mean he’s stupid,” Sonnenfeld said. “He’s dumb as a fox. He has incredible street smarts.”
“We know from mythology and science across centuries and cultures that even foxes are sometimes defeated,” Sonnenfeld told wealthNoting that he often criticizes Trump, but also praises him at times. He claims he knows what he’s talking about because he has more experience dealing with Trump than anyone in the current White House and more than anyone in his first term except family members. Sonnenfeld, an influential leadership whisperer who served at Harvard and Yale, has known Trump for many years and was one of the first to predict that Trump would run for president. He also claimed he had dozens of face-to-face conversations and phone calls with Trump. For example, he said Trump contacted him frequently during his first campaign, even though Trump knew Sonnenfeld supported Hillary Clinton.
One of Trump’s most effective tactics is a distraction device, which Sonnenfeld calls a “wall of sound.” Comparing it to 1960s pop-rock record producer Phil Spector and his technique of layering instruments to create an overwhelming sonic experience, Sonnenfeld explained that Trump had “so many instruments ringing at once,” which disoriented the public. Sonnenfeld said that whether it was threats to annex Greenland or attack Venezuela, he viewed them as “deliberate strategic maneuvers” designed to divert the conversation away from damaging domestic issues, such as millions losing health insurance or Trump’s appearance in the Jeffrey Epstein dossier.
Sonnenfeld didn’t even mention Spector’s own shame — the record producer died in prison in 2021 after being convicted of murder — but noted that Trump’s “wall of sound” has taken a darker turn recently. This, of course, is a reference to Trump posting a racist AI-generated video about Barack and Michelle Obama. Sonnenfeld described the provocations as “screaming racial venom” rather than dog whistles, used because Trump needed to change the subject, possibly from new revelations in the Epstein dossier. “Exploiting race is always a villain’s last resort, and he was no exception,” Sonnenfeld said.
within the commandments
Sonnenfeld told wealth Although Trump is a well-known figure and dozens of books are written about him seemingly every week, most “whisper the gossip of disappointed insiders and repeat the laments of political historians.” Designed to provide actionable insights into Trump’s next steps, this book is not only the first book written by a leadership scholar, but also the only book written by someone who has known Trump and studied his leadership methods for a quarter of a century.
Sonnenfeld told Galloway and Tarloff that a clear example of these “commandments” is the scandal involving Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick, who is fielding new questions over his false claims that his relationship with Epstein after 2005 was longer than was previously known. When asked how a leader like Trump handles such a responsibility, Sonnenfeld noted that “Trump never apologizes” and contrasted him with past politicians who have resigned out of shame.
However, Sonnenfeld predicted that Lutnick’s effectiveness may be about to expire, explaining that he heard from CEOs behind the scenes that Lutnick’s reputation was declining despite his long career on Wall Street. Sonnenfeld added that one of Trump’s commandments is to “stay away from losers,” and that he may eventually fire Lutnick not out of moral obligation but because he has become a liability.
Sonnenfeld told the book wealthwill be the only one “capable of deciphering what people mistakenly believe is crazy about Trump, revealing the patterns behind his behavior, and recommending actions to anticipate and respond to his strategies.”
CEOs need to take collective action
While Trump’s tactics have been effective, Sonnenfeld said on the podcast that the business community holds the key to disrupting his momentum through “collective action — which is taking down the bullies.” He cited the exodus of businesses after the Charlottesville protests in 2017 as an example of how unified corporate resistance is possible. There’s just one problem, he said: fear.
“When I talk to CEOs about taking a stand now, they’re scared,” Sonnenfeld said. After all, he noted, Trump attacked JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, the world’s “most feared and respected” financial leader. He also attacked Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan, Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, and brands across America outside of finance, including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and Harley-Davidson, of which Harley-Davidson is an iconic brand. Sonnenfeld added that the battles were a “cautionary tale” for CEOs: “You can’t do it alone.”
Sonnenfeld emphasized that for CEOs to find the courage, other pillars of society must first step up. “Where are the clergy?” he asked, noting the silence of religious leaders, unions and professional associations compared with the civil rights era.
Ultimately, Sonnenfeld warned stakeholders not to be passive. “They’re sitting at home eating steak, watching TV, scrolling on their phones, anticipating that Trump is going to be gone – and they’re wrong,” he said.
He added that business leaders cannot just claim that their patriotism, personal values or morals are at stake because they must act in the interests of shareholders.
“Unless they are part of an oligarchic minority, they are the custodians of other people’s resources,” Sonnenfeld said, citing the work of the great sociologist Alexis de Tocqueville. Tocqueville visited the United States in the early 1800s and wanted to know why American law worked so well.
For the law to work, de Tocqueville said there needs to be trust in communities, including in business and other functional leaders whose job it is to “prove the truth.” De Tocqueville called this “social capital.” “These people are the backbone. They are the most respected. Sadly, legislators, federal, state, local, media, academia, clergy have all lost ground in American society. Business leaders still have the upper hand. “But they need to understand what they’re dealing with.
[This report has been updated to correct that Phil Spector was convicted of murder, but not of his wife.]
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
