Donald Rumsfeld Quotes

• “Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns- the ones we don't know we don't know.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Those who made the decisions with imperfect knowledge will be judged in hindsight by those with considerably more information at their disposal and time for reflection.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “If we know anything, it is that weakness is provocative.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “The world is run by those who show up.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Everyone’s saying you can’t do anything until you can do everything, and in life I’ve never found that to be the case. To me, first you crawl, then you walk, then you run. And so let’s get on with it. Let’s stick something in the ground and not pretend that it’s perfect.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be first overcome.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Over the years I’ve come to be wary of using the words always and never. They are two of the more dangerous words in the English language.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Those who think that they know, but are mistaken, and act upon their mistakes, are the most dangerous people to have in charge. —Margaret Thatcher”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “When you’re up to your ears in alligators, it is difficult to remember that the reason you’re there is to drain the swamp.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “There are known knowns, things we know that we know; and there are known unknowns, things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns, things we do not know we don't know.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Leadership is by consent, not command. A leader must persuade.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “When starting at the bottom, be willing to learn from those at the top.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Leaders need to search for people who instinctively appreciate the wrongness of waste and misuse.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “When surprise occurs, such as when the economy enters an unexpected recession or a conflict begins seemingly out the blue, the natural reaction is to immediately ask who made the “obvious” mistake. It is much easier to believe that our leaders are incompetent than to accept the less pleasant reality that ours is a world where uncertainty and surprise are the norm, not the exception.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Something has to give in your life—and what usually gives are your family and friendships. Wherever you are, whatever the setting, however important your title, don’t let that happen.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “The success of an organization will depend on the people you surround yourself with.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “A civilization that feels guilty for everything it is and does will lack the energy and conviction to defend itself.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “If you want traction, you must first have friction. —Admiral Jim Ellis”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “The harder I work, the luckier I am. —Stephen Leacock”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “If you don’t like change, you are going to like irrelevance even less. —General Eric Shinseki”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships. —Abraham Lincoln”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “If you order a bureaucracy to do something it doesn’t want to do, very often it will ensure that your attempt at change will fail and prove to all that it was right in the first place.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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• “The most successful organizations create an environment that is hospitable to risk-taking, innovation, and creativity.”

  Donald Rumsfeld

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