Leave the President's family business to him. You will have plenty to do without trying to manage the First Family. They are likely to do fine without your help.

Quote by Donald Rumsfeld

Topics: Business Quotes, Family Quotes, Presidency Quotes

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...

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.

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...

Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders...

Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders...

See that the President, the Cabinet and staff are informed. If cut out of the...

See that the President, the Cabinet and staff are informed. If cut out of the...

Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed...

Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed...

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...

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.

The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential...

The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential...

Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of...

Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of...

If you develop rules, never have more than ten.

If you develop rules, never have more than ten.

Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and...

Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and...

If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.

If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.

Learn to say I don't know. If used when appropriate, it will be often.

Learn to say I don't know. If used when appropriate, it will be often.

Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of...

Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of...

Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps...

Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps...

Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries...

Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries...

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...

Strive to make proposed solutions as self-executing as possible. As the degree of discretion increases,...

Strive to make proposed solutions as self-executing as possible. As the degree of discretion increases,...

A mayor is a symbol and a public face of what a city bureaucracy provides...

A mayor is a symbol and a public face of what a city bureaucracy provides...

Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to...

Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to...

All effort is in the last analysis sustained by faith that it is worth making

All effort is in the last analysis sustained by faith that it is worth making

The wording group that separates, deports and splits wide apart many â€œMYâ€ by enshrining and...

The wording group that separates, deports and splits wide apart many â€œMYâ€ by enshrining and...

The school is that last expenditure upon which Americans should be willing to economize

The school is that last expenditure upon which Americans should be willing to economize