Donald Trump heads an administration where leadership is built on command, not genuine consensus. This revelation was shared by a management professor from Yale University. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, co-author of the book Trump’s Ten Commandments: Strategic Lessons from the Trump Leadership Toolbox, claims that the president purposely follows this hierarchical structure within the Cabinet.
Jeffrey mentioned that while some of Trump’s decisions might appear to break conventional leadership protocols, it is ultimately he who holds all the power. The author gave the example of the president’s appointment of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.
The former Fox News anchor, although holding a lower military rank as a major, was still deemed fit for the position. On the other hand, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, is a three-star general. Thus, Trump has effectively placed a subordinate in charge of a superior, inverting the traditional hierarchy.
There Will Be Grift: Jeffrey Sonnenfeld Reveals Trump’s ‘Mad King’ Playbook https://t.co/0hAdAOwdJX
— Jim (@JimP63878330) March 31, 2026
Explaining the process, another co-author of the book, Steven Tian, remarked: “He loves putting the subordinates in charge of the bosses to invert the hierarchies of their authority, so that he’s not boxed in, so that Trump calls all the shots.”
Sonnenfeld continued that while the inverted hierarchy gives significant power to Trump, it also sometimes places him at the center of scrutiny. These are the moments when subordinates-turned-department heads make a misstep, and it is Trump who is ultimately held accountable.
In his words, “They’re beholden back to him. It backfires on him when they don’t have the legitimate authority, as the courts would rule whether or not they’re agency heads, Cabinet heads or U.S. attorneys. They wind up not being able to execute what they wanted to do, because they don’t have sufficient authority.”
The Yale professor further added that Trump’s approach draws comparisons to that of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. He said it ensures that the 79-year-old continues repeating his version of events to the extent that the message lingers among listeners. He cited the example of the 2020 election claims, adding that Trump and his administration’s statements had enough influence to persuade many people to believe them.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld also recalled his limited interactions with Trump. This occurred after he wrote a critical opinion piece about his show, The Apprentice. While Trump was initially hostile, he later attempted to win Sonnenfeld over by offering him a position at the now-defunct Trump University. Although Sonnenfeld declined the offer, the two eventually became friends.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Rick know Trump a little too well. We’re in for a rough ride because the news is only going to get worse, folks. #DemsUnited pic.twitter.com/q1rsDkd1mZ
— Rod (Izzy) 🇺🇸🦅 (@1zzyzyx1) March 31, 2026
Reviewing those moments, Jeffrey remarked, “This is what upsets me about people thinking that he’s an idiot, because he would fail the geography contest at Yale and Wharton and anywhere else. Just because there’s a lot he doesn’t know—and he is ignorant of a lot of things—he is not stupid.”
In the wake of these claims by the professor, the White House has not yet responded with any statement.
