If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
DONALD RUMSFELDEnjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.
More Donald Rumsfeld Quotes
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Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was – by a taxpayer.
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Learn to say ‘I don’t know.’ If used when appropriate, it will be often.
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Don’t blame the boss. He has enough problems.
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It isn’t making mistakes that’s critical; it’s correcting them and getting on with the principal task.
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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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Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers.
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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.
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If in doubt, move decisions up to the President.
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Let your family, staff, and friends know that you’re still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position.
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Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.
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Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented.
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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.
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If it were a fact, it wouldn’t be called intelligence.
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There are no “knowns.” There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know.
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Prune – prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually.
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Don’t necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
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Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.
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There are known knowns, things we know that we know; and there are known unknowns, things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns, things we do not know we don’t know.
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Let’s stick something in the ground and not pretend that it’s perfect.
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Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive.
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The way to do well is to do well.
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Those who made the decisions with imperfect knowledge will be judged in hindsight by those with considerably more information at their disposal and time for reflection.
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If you develop rules, never have more than ten.
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Presidential leadership needn’t always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.
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Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers – they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up.
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Preserve the President’s options. He may need them.
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