Know that the immediate staff and others in the Administration will assume that your manner, tone and tempo reflect the President's.

Quote by Donald Rumsfeld

Topics: Presidency Quotes

First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If...

First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If...

Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or...

Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or...

Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.

Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.

Have a deputy and develop a successor. Don't be consumed by the job or you'll...

Have a deputy and develop a successor. Don't be consumed by the job or you'll...

The most underestimated risk for a politician is overexposure.

The most underestimated risk for a politician is overexposure.

Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on how much money or effort...

Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on how much money or effort...

Preserve the President's options. He may need them.

Preserve the President's options. He may need them.

It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal...

It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal...

Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.

Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.

Control your time. If you're working off your in-box, you're working off the priorities of...

Control your time. If you're working off your in-box, you're working off the priorities of...

If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be...

If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be...

If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.

If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.

First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If...

First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If...

Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction.

Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction.

The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him...

The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him...

If a prospective Presidential approach can't be explained clearly enough to be understood well, it...

If a prospective Presidential approach can't be explained clearly enough to be understood well, it...

You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think,...

You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think,...

One of your tasks is to separate the personal from the substantive. The two can...

One of your tasks is to separate the personal from the substantive. The two can...

Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.

Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.

Oh my goodness gracious, what you can buy off the Internet in terms of overhead...

Oh my goodness gracious, what you can buy off the Internet in terms of overhead...