#m

Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well. ↗

— Donald Rumsfeld

#american people #paid #people #public #public servants

Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up. ↗

— Donald Rumsfeld

#dam #get #lawyers #like #middle

Remember where you came from. ↗

— Donald Rumsfeld

#remember #where #you

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

#confidently #cut #decisions #flow #implemented

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 Rumsfeld

#decisions #hearing #helps #ideas #implemented

The Secretary of Defense is not a super General or Admiral. His task is to exercise civilian control over the Department for the Commander-in-Chief and the country. ↗

— Donald Rumsfeld

#civilian #commander-in-chief #control #country #defense

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. ↗

— Donald Rumsfeld

#corners #help #know #make #mistakes

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

— Donald Rumsfeld

#contrary #day #first #house #last

You're thinking of Eurpoe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe. ↗

— Donald Rumsfeld

#france #germany #i #i think #old

Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts. ↗

— Margaret Lee Runbeck

#between #conversations #counts #friends #make