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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
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Donald Rumsfeld
Age: 88 †
Born: 1932
Born: July 9
Died: 2021
Died: June 29
Author
Businessperson
Diplomat
Former U.S. Secretary Of Defense
Military Officer
Politician
Chicago
Illinois
Donald Henry Rumsfeld
Asks
President
Overrule
Make
Counsel
Caution
Decisions
Personal
Security
Decision
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When starting at the bottom, be willing to learn from those at the top.
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If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.
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We have an orientation that tends to make us think that everything is our responsibility and that we should be doing this. It is the Iraqis' country, 28 million of them. They are perfectly capable of running that country.
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If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't I'll just respond cleverly.
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If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.
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I am not going to give you a number for it because it's not my business to do intelligent work.
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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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Oh my goodness gracious, what you can buy off the Internet in terms of overhead photography. A trained ape can know an awful lot of what is going on in this world, just by punching on his mouse, for a relatively modest cost.
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There are things that we know, and there are things that we don't know. Then there are the things that we don't even know that we don't know. Those are the things that are the hardest.
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The United States isn't going to do anything that it's not capable of doing. And if we do something, we'll be capable of doing it.
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Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.
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It is very difficult to spend federal (the taxpayers') dollars so that the intended result is achieved.
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Control your time. If you're working off your in-box, you're working off the priorities of others. Be sure the staff is working on what you move to them from the President, or the President will be reacting, not leading.
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Have a deputy and develop a successor. Don't be consumed by the job or you'll risk losing your balance. Keep your mooring lines to the outside world - family, friends, neighbors, people out of government, and people who may not agree with you.
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Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
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