President

Humor is very very risky, particularly for a candidate, unless he's been in so long that it just doesn't matter, and he's not running for president. But it's just that people are so sensitive and so touchy, and you're just going to upset somebody without ever realizing it.
Mark Russell
Humor
People
President
Running
If in doubt, move decisions up to the President.
Donald Rumsfeld
Decisions
Doubt
President
If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.
Donald Rumsfeld
Delay
Mistakes
President
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.
Donald Rumsfeld
Leadership
Help
President
Thinking
Leave the President's family business to him. You will have plenty to do without trying to manage the First Family. They are likely to do fine without your help.
Donald Rumsfeld
Business
Family
First
Help
President
Trying
Will
Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance.
Donald Rumsfeld
Performance
President
Value
Will
Wonders
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.
Donald Rumsfeld
Decision
Force
President
Pressure
Responsibility
When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views.
Donald Rumsfeld
President
Press
Want
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
Truth
Being
News
President
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 Rumsfeld
President
When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later.
Donald Rumsfeld
Policy
Decision
Guidance
Help
President
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 Rumsfeld
Caution
Decisions
President
Security
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
Decisions
Information
May
Poor
President
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
President
Wrong
Preserve the President's options. He may need them.
Donald Rumsfeld
May
Options
President