Donald Rumsfeld Quotes
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Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.
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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.
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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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With the press there is no 'off the record.'
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Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.
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And there is, I am certain, among the Iraqi people a respect for the care and the precision that went into the bombing campaign.
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We do have a saying in America: if you're in a hole, stop digging ..... erm, I'm not sure I should have said that.8910
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After he saw what happened to Saddam Hussein, he (Gaddafi) did not want to be Saddam Hussein. He gave up his nuclear program.
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Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what it was and you will know something important about them, about our country and about the American people.
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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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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.
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Stuff happens.
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Preserve the President's options. He may need them.
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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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It recalls to mind the statement by Winston Churchill, something to the effect that: I have benefited greatly from criticism, and at no time have I suffered a lack thereof. 15
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If you develop rules, never have more than ten.
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Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.
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Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post.
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Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance.
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Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue.
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Remember where you came from.
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Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
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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.
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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.