If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.
From Donald Rumsfeld
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.
Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive.
Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance.
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.
Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.
The Secretary of Defense is not a super General or Admiral. His task is to exercise civilian control over the Department for the Commander-in-Chief and the country.
Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually.
The way to do well is to do well.
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.
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