Home
Authors
Tags
App
Get QuoteDark Inspirational Quotes App
" 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
Related Quotes:
" Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Preserve the President's options. He may need them. "
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
" If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" The way to do well is to do well. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post. "
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
" Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" 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. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If in doubt, move decisions up to the President. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" 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. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers. "
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
" If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Oh my goodness gracious, what you can buy off the Internet in terms of overhead photography. A trained ape can know an awful lot of what is going on in this world, just by punching on his mouse, for a relatively modest cost. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.' "
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
" It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task. "
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
" Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive. "
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
" 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
" 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
" You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe. "
Donald Rumsfeld