Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Management, Organization
Move decisions out to the Cabinet and agencies. Strengthen them by moving responsibility, authority, and accountability their direction.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Authority
Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Arguments
In our system leadership is by consent, not command. To lead a President must persuade. Personal contacts and experiences help shape his thinking. They can be critical to his persuasiveness and thus to his leadership.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Leadership
Don’t necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Leadership
Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Criticism
There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.
—Donald Rumsfeld
If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Criticism
You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be responsible. Give them authority and hold them accountable. Trying to do too much yourself creates a bottleneck.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Authority
You’re thinking of Eurpoe as Germany and France. I don’t. I think that’s old Europe.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Judges, Judgment, Judging
Success tends to go not to the person who is error-free, because he also tends to be risk-averse. Rather it goes to the person who recognizes that life is pretty much a percentage business. It isn’t making mistakes that’s critical; it’s correcting them and getting on with the principal task.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Success, Success & Failure, Mistakes
The most valuable sense of humor is the kind that enables a person to see instantly what it isn’t safe to laugh at
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Humor
Keep your sense of humor. As General Joe Stillwell said, “The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind.”
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Humor
Strive to make proposed solutions as self-executing as possible. As the degree of discretion increases, so too does bureaucracy, delay, and expense.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Bureaucracy
Presidential leadership needn’t always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.
—Donald Rumsfeld
Topics: Leadership
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- Milton Friedman American Economist
- Herbert Hoover American Statesman
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