For CEOs and CEO aspirants, forging or simply strengthening direct relationships with the White House will be of even greater importance during the next presidential term, as evidenced by the spate of tech executives who are bending the knee ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, for instance, visited Mar-a-Lago over Thanksgiving week in an attempt to repair his fractious relationship with the president-elect, who’s long been critical of the technocrat’s social media platform.
He’s not alone. CEOs like Google’s Sundar Pichai and Amazon’s Andy Jassy—as well as founder Jeff Bezos—have all reached out to President-elect Trump, seeking to establish early engagement to discuss priorities, align strategies, and secure favorable outcomes.
This approach mirrors the playbook of Apple CEO Tim Cook. Since Trump’s first term, Cook has maintained regular communication with the administration, attending White House meetings and advisory councils. He has emphasized shared goals such as job creation and U.S. manufacturing while highlighting Apple’s “America First” contributions. Trump has, in turn, publicly praised Cook as a trusted, effective advocate for business and economic growth, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Other leaders, both in tech and beyond, are now adopting similar strategies, leveraging private meetings with the incoming administration to advocate for their companies, influence policy, and gain favorable treatment.
However, navigating Trump’s transactional leadership style comes with challenges. He often demands unwavering loyalty, making these engagements a calculated risk for those who can’t as adeptly navigate the president-elect’s wiles. Leaders must carefully balance demonstrating support for the administration while avoiding the consumer-related pitfalls that could arise from doing so or perceived disloyalty from the Trump campaign.
Cook’s ability to diplomatically manage this dynamic—so far, anyway—is a skill in itself.
Ruth Umoh
ruth.umoh@fortune.com
Today’s newsletter was curated by Natalie McCormick.
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Leadership lesson
Booking Holdings’ CEO Glenn Flogel discussed the importance of flexibility and change in the wake of its reorg announcement.
“Change is difficult, and certainly, if you are involved in a restructuring that negatively impacts your life, that is a sad event…But to not do that is actually bad leadership.
Look at the companies that did not change, that should have changed, and weren’t willing to do it. So I ask you, do you have a Nokia phone? Well, where’s Nokia’s phone business now? Did you ever have a BlackBerry? Where are they? Ever rent a video from Blockbuster? Of course. Where are they?”
News to know
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed confidence that a tariff war with the U.S. can be avoided, following a phone call with President-elect Donald Trump. AP
The world’s wealthiest individuals have collectively added $585 billion to their fortunes, fueled by a stock market rally primarily driven by the AI boom. Fortune
Lei Zhang, a Chinese investor who made billions for Yale by backing companies like Tencent, is now reassessing his China strategy as U.S.-China relations sour amid slowing growth and rising geopolitical tensions. WSJ
HSBC’s CEO is reshaping the bank’s leadership through a major restructuring, including slimming down the management committee, consolidating regions, and implementing competitive reapplications for senior roles within newly combined divisions. Bloomberg
The CEO of automaker Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep, Citroën, and Ram, has resigned. An executive committee led by its chairman will be established as the company looks for a successor. Fortune
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