Home
Authors
Tags
App
Get QuoteDark Inspirational Quotes App
" Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post. "
Donald Rumsfeld
Related Quotes:
" Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't say 'the White House wants.' Buildings can't want. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue. "
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
" You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Let your family, staff, and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.' "
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
" 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
" Preserve the President's options. He may need them. "
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
" When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If you develop rules, never have more than ten. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life. "
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
" Remember where you came from. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task. "
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
" If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be responsible. Give them authority and hold them accountable. Trying to do too much yourself creates a bottleneck. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it can better be handled privately, by voluntary organizations, or by local or state governments. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance. "
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
" Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems. "
Donald Rumsfeld