Donald Rumsfeld Quotes | GloryQuotes

Donald Rumsfeld Quotes About Work

In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone.

Donald Rumsfeld

Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary.

Donald Rumsfeld

Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work towards those goals.

Donald Rumsfeld

Don't divide the world into "them" and "us." Avoid infatuation with or resentment of the press, the Congress, rivals, or opponents. Accept them as facts. They have their jobs and you have yours.

Donald Rumsfeld

More Quotes by Donald Rumsfeld

Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it.

Donald Rumsfeld

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.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views.

Donald Rumsfeld

Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Let your family, staff, and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

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

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up.

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

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

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that.

Donald Rumsfeld

First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If you run, you may lose. And, if you tie, you do not win.

Donald Rumsfeld

Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.

Donald Rumsfeld

Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.

Donald Rumsfeld

There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

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.

Donald Rumsfeld

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.

Donald Rumsfeld

Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there.

Donald Rumsfeld

Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer.

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

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

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out planning.

Donald Rumsfeld

If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it.

Donald Rumsfeld

If in doubt, move decisions up to the President.

Donald Rumsfeld

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on how much money or effort is spent, rather than whether the money or effort actually achieves the announced goal.

Donald Rumsfeld

It is easier to get into something than to get out of it.

Donald Rumsfeld

Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's still learning.

Donald Rumsfeld

Don't say "the White House wants." Buildings can't want.

Donald Rumsfeld

If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right.

Donald Rumsfeld

Browse 74 quotes attributed to Donald Rumsfeld, listed in the source data as a American Politician, organized around themes such as Work, Career, Leadership. Use the topic links to explore similar quotes, or browse the full author collection in one place.