Donald Rumsfeld Quotes

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.
Donald Rumsfeld

Known, Unknown, Unknowns

If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it.
Donald Rumsfeld

Try, Everybody, Somebody

There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact.
Donald Rumsfeld

Lie, Away, Fact

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

Time, Good, Yourself

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

Life, Time, May

Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.
Donald Rumsfeld

Speak, Walk, Shoes

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.
Donald Rumsfeld

Off, Goodness, Internet

Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.
Donald Rumsfeld

War, Death, View

Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer.
Donald Rumsfeld

Hard, Treat, Earned

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.
Donald Rumsfeld

Accept, Congress, Facts

If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
Donald Rumsfeld

May, Criticized

Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.'
Donald Rumsfeld

Success, Yourself, Off

Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems.
Donald Rumsfeld

Blame, Enough, Problems

It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.
Donald Rumsfeld

Mistakes, Making, Getting

Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.
Donald Rumsfeld

Integrity, Lack, Trip

Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.
Donald Rumsfeld

Small, Dangerous, Lack

Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out planning.
Donald Rumsfeld

Ahead, Drive, Planning

I don't do quagmires.
Donald Rumsfeld

I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that.
Donald Rumsfeld

Today, Tell, Last

If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right.
Donald Rumsfeld

Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
Donald Rumsfeld

Leadership, Necessary, Avoid

Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.
Donald Rumsfeld

Men, Yourself, Said

Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers.
Donald Rumsfeld

Put, Between, Top

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.
Donald Rumsfeld

Work, Best, Job

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

Work, True, Decisions

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Politician

Born: July 9, 1932

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