Donald Rumsfeld

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.

Presidential leadership needn’t always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.

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 do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post.

Make decisions about the President’s personal security. He can overrule you, but don’t ask him to be the one to counsel caution.

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

I judge people based on their capability, honesty, and merit.

In real life, if I were firing you, I’d tell you what a great job you did, how fantastic you are, and how you can do better someplace else. If somebody steals, that’s different, but generally speaking, you want to let them down as lightly as possible. It’s not a very pleasant thing. I don’t like firing people.

The very essence of leadership is having vision.

As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.

The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.

Most great leaders in history that I’ve studied always need to get as wide a range of opinions as possible so that they can have sufficient information to make the right decisions.

You don’t reward failure by promoting those responsible for it, because all you get is more failure.

You do your job, you keep your job. Do it well, you get a better job.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

Don’t necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.

The best leaders are humble enough to realize their victories depend upon their people.

If you aspire to be a leader of your own country, you must speak your own language, for God’s sake.

I like to praise and reward in a loud voice and to scold in a whisper.