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 Henry Rumsfeld

Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented. — Donald Henry Rumsfeld

In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone. — Donald Rumsfeld

If in doubt, move decisions up to the President. — Donald Rumsfeld

Move decisions out to the Cabinet and agencies. Strengthen them by moving responsibility, authority, and accountability their direction. — Donald Rumsfeld

Find ways to decentralize. Move decision making authority down and out. Encourage a more entrepreneurial approach. — Donald Rumsfeld

Preserve the President’s options. He may need them. — Donald Henry Rumsfeld

It is very difficult to spend ‘federal (the taxpayers’) dollars’ so that the intended result is achieved. — Donald Rumsfeld

The natural state of man is to want to be free. To have opportunities. To have choices. — Donald Rumsfeld

Being Vice President is difficult. Don’t make it tougher. — Donald Rumsfeld

A president has to provide leadership to gain support. — Donald Rumsfeld

A few. . . critics are the only people I ever heard use the phrase ‘imminent threat.’ I didn’t, the president didn’t. — Donald Rumsfeld

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. — Donald Henry Rumsfeld

The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don’t tell him the truth. Others won’t do it. — Donald Rumsfeld

Every president when he is elected has to live with the pluses and minuses his predecessor leaves, which includes benefits as well as burdens. — Donald Rumsfeld

Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance. — Donald Rumsfeld

One of your tasks is to separate the ‘personal’ from the ‘substantive.’ The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong. — Donald Rumsfeld

I suppose the implication of that is the president and the vice president and myself and Colin Powell just fell off a turnip truck to take these jobs. — Donald Rumsfeld

Don’t accept the post or stay unless you have an understanding with the President that you’re free to tell him what you think ‘with the bark off’ and you have the courage to do it. — Donald Rumsfeld

If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes. — Donald Rumsfeld

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. — Donald Henry Rumsfeld

They may have had time to destroy them, and I don’t know the answer. — Donald Rumsfeld

You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time. — Donald Rumsfeld

Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life. — Donald Henry Rumsfeld

A terrorist can attack any time, any place using any technique and you can’t defend everywhere against every technique at every moment. — Donald Rumsfeld

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. — Donald Rumsfeld

Control your own time. Don’t let it be done for you. If you are working off the in–box that is fed you, you are probably working on the priority of others. — Donald Rumsfeld

There will be good moments, and there will be less good moments. — Donald Rumsfeld

We do know of certain knowledge that he [Osama Bin Laden] is either in Afghanistan, or in some other country, or dead. — Donald Rumsfeld

Five days or five months, but it certainly isn’t going to last longer. — Donald Rumsfeld

I don’t believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons. — Donald Rumsfeld

I don’t know anybody that I can think of who has contended that the Iraqis had nuclear weapons. — Donald Rumsfeld

It is hard to put a price on some things. What is the value of having prevented nuclear weapons from getting into the hands of a dictator like Saddam Hussein–or of Gadhafi? — Donald Rumsfeld

Is it likely that an aircraft carrier or a cruise missile is going to find a person? — Donald Rumsfeld

If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random. — Donald Henry Rumsfeld

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. — Donald Rumsfeld

Let your family, staff, and friends know that you’re still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position. — Donald Rumsfeld

Know that the immediate staff and others in the Administration will assume that your manner, tone and tempo reflect the President’s. — Donald Rumsfeld

See that the President, the Cabinet and staff are informed. If cut out of the information flow, their decisions may be poor, not made, or not confidently or persuasively implemented. — Donald Rumsfeld

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don’t eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control. — Donald Rumsfeld

Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary. — Donald Rumsfeld