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" Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small. "
Donald Rumsfeld
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" If it were a fact, it wouldn't be called intelligence. "
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" See that the President, the Cabinet and staff are informed. If cut out of the information flow, their decisions may be poor, not made, or not confidently or persuasively implemented. "
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" If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random. "
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" Visit with your predecessors from previous Administrations. They know the ropes and can help you see around some corners. Try to make original mistakes, rather than needlessly repeating theirs. "
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" Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well. "
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" One of your tasks is to separate the 'personal' from the 'substantive.' The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong. "
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" Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive. "
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" Remember where you came from. "
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" I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that. "
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" Make decisions about the President's personal security. He can overrule you, but don't ask him to be the one to counsel caution. "
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" Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life. "
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" Preserve the President's options. He may need them. "
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" In our system leadership is by consent, not command. To lead a President must persuade. Personal contacts and experiences help shape his thinking. They can be critical to his persuasiveness and thus to his leadership. "
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" Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers. "
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