Donald Rumsfeld is a famous Politician from USA, he/she is 91 years old and still alive, born July 9, 1932.
Zodiac:
He/she is born under the zodiac cancer, who is known for Emotion, Diplomatic, Intensity, Impulsive, Selective.
Our collection contains 59 quotes who is written / told by Donald.
59 Famous quotes by Donald Rumsfeld
"Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small"
"Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House"
"Our task, your task... is to try to connect the dots before something happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we don't want to see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction"
"It is easier to get into something than to get out of it"
"Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life"
"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"
"Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to "carry it off.""
"Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers"
"If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it"
"If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right"
"Don't say "the White House wants." Buildings can't want"
"Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership"
"Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue"
"When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later"
"Visit with your predecessors from previous Administrations. They know the ropes and can help you see around some corners. Try to make original mistakes, rather than needlessly repeating theirs"
"Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer"
"Preserve the President's options. He may need them"
"If a prospective Presidential approach can't be explained clearly enough to be understood well, it probably hasn't been thought through well enough. If not well understood by the American people, it probably won't "sail" anyway. Send it back for further thought"
"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"
"Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up"
"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"
"The way to do well is to do well"
"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"
"Remember where you came from"
"Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive"
"I don't do quagmires"
"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"
"Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction"
"One of your tasks is to separate the "personal" from the "substantive." The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong"
"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"
"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"
"With the press there is no "off the record.""
"There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact"
"Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually"
"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"
"Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what it was and you will know something important about them, about our country and about the American people"
"If you develop rules, never have more than ten"
"If in doubt, move decisions up to the President"
"Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes"
"Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems"
"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war"
"When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control"
"There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know"
"In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone"
"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"
"If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes"
"Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men"
"Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post"
"Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance"
"When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views"
