If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random.
Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It’s not 3,000. It’s tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children.
Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented.
Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers.
One of your tasks is to separate the “personal” from the “substantive.” The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong.
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.
Don’t necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.
Don’t blame the boss. He has enough problems.
If in doubt, move decisions up to the President.
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.
Let your family, staff, and friends know that you’re still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position.
Don’t think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.
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.
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.
When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don’t eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.
In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it.
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.
Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was – by a taxpayer.
Don’t automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn’t considered key aspects of the issue.
Don’t speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn’t walk in their shoes.
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