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" Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up. "
Donald Rumsfeld
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" Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction. "
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" When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views. "
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" Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well. "
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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. "
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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 you develop rules, never have more than ten. "
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" If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it. "
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" 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. "
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" 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
" 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
" Preserve the President's options. He may need them. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" It is easier to get into something than to get out of it. "
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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. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out planning. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war. "
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
" There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact. "
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 necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Simply because you do not have evidence that something exists does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist. "
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
" 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
" If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much. "
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
" 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