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.

Quote by Donald Rumsfeld

Topics: Donald Rumsfeld Quotes

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,...

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...

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

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

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...

You're thinking of Eurpoe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe.

You're thinking of Eurpoe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe.

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...

Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page...

Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page...

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,...

Don't begin to think you're the President. You're not. The Constitution provides for only one.

Don't begin to think you're the President. You're not. The Constitution provides for only one.

Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to...

Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to...

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...

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...

Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last....

Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last....

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.

Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems.

Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems.

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

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

Visit with your predecessors from previous Administrations. They know the ropes and can help you...

Visit with your predecessors from previous Administrations. They know the ropes and can help you...

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...

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...

I don't do quagmires.

I don't do quagmires.