Quote

Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find problem areas, add structure and delegate. The pressure is to do the reverse. Resist it.

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
President
Reverse
Problem
Add
Find
Areas
Bottleneck
Matter
Structure
Bottlenecks
Pressure
Delegation
Decision
Delegate
Responsibility
Delegates
Force
Resist

More quotes by Donald Rumsfeld

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When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.
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We don't seek empires.We're not imperialistic.
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I don't know anybody that I can think of who has contended that the Iraqis had nuclear weapons.
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Most of the 50 or so invitations you receive each week come from people inviting the President's Chief of Staff, not you. If you doubt that, ask your predecessor how many he received last week.
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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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Don't 'over-control' like a novice pilot. Stay loose enough from the flow that you can observe it, modify, and improve it.
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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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At 78 years old, I am not surprised at much anymore. Germany has taken divergent positions before, so has France, so has England, so has the US.
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What is needed [to combat terrorism], in my view, is resolve, not retreat courage, not concession. Rather than thinking in terms of an exit strategy, focus on a strategy for success.
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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.
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[on Osama bin Laden] He is either alive and well or alive and not too well or not alive.
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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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Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.
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A terrorist can attack any time, any place using any technique and you can't defend everywhere against every technique at every moment.
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Preserve the President's options. He may need them.
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General Boykin has requested that an inspector general review this matter. And I have indicated that if that's his request, I think it's appropriate.
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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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We do know that the Iraqi regime has chemical and biological weapons. His regime has amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of chemical weapons - including VX, sarin, cyclosarin and mustard gas. His regime has amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of biological weapons—including anthrax and botulism toxin, and possibly smallpox.
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We do have a saying in America: if you're in a hole, stop digging ..... erm, I'm not sure I should have said that.
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Napoleon was asked, Who do you consider to be the greatest generals? He responded saying, The victors.
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