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" Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war. "
Donald Rumsfeld
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" Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't divide the world into 'them' and 'us.' Avoid infatuation with or resentment of the press, the Congress, rivals, or opponents. Accept them as facts. They have their jobs and you have yours. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on how much money or effort is spent, rather than whether the money or effort actually achieves the announced goal. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Our task, your task... is to try to connect the dots before something happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we don't want to see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" I don't do quagmires. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Many people around the President have sizeable egos before entering government, some with good reason. Their new positions will do little to moderate their egos. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" One of your tasks is to separate the 'personal' from the 'substantive.' The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" 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. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find problem areas, add structure and delegate. The pressure is to do the reverse. Resist it. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work towards those goals. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If it were a fact, it wouldn't be called intelligence. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If a prospective Presidential approach can't be explained clearly enough to be understood well, it probably hasn't been thought through well enough. If not well understood by the American people, it probably won't 'sail' anyway. Send it back for further thought. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't do it. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Remember where you came from. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Make decisions about the President's personal security. He can overrule you, but don't ask him to be the one to counsel caution. "
Donald Rumsfeld