- 352 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
The man once named one of America’s ten “toughest” CEOs by Fortune magazine offers current and future leaders practical advice on how to make their companies and organizations more effective.
Throughout his distinguished career—as a naval aviator, a U.S. Congressman, a top aide to four American presidents, a high-level diplomat, a CEO of two Fortune 500 companies, and the only twice-serving Secretary of Defense in American history—Donald Rumsfeld has collected hundreds of pithy, compelling, and often humorous observations about leadership, business, and life. When President Gerald Ford ordered these aphorisms distributed to his White House staff in 1974, the collection became known as "Rumsfeld's Rules."
First gathered as three-by-five cards in a shoebox and then typed up and circulated informally over the years, these eminently nonpartisan rules have amused and enlightened presidents, business executives, chiefs of staff, foreign officials, diplomats, and members of Congress. They earned praise from the Wall Street Journal as "Required reading," and from the New York Times which said: "Rumsfeld's Rules can be profitably read in any organization…The best reading, though, are his sprightly tips on inoculating oneself against that dread White House disease, the inflated ego."
Distilled from a career of unusual breadth and accomplishment, and organized under practical topics like hiring people, running a meeting, and dealing with the press, Rumsfeld's Rules can benefit people at every stage in their careers and in every walk of life, from aspiring politicos and industrialists to recent college graduates, teachers, and business leaders.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction: The Benefits of Borrowed Wisdom
- Chapter One: Starting at the Bottom
- Chapter Two: Running a Meeting
- Chapter Three: Picking People
- Chapter Four: Thinking Strategically
- Chapter Five: Planning for Uncertainty
- Chapter Six: The Unknown Unknowns
- Chapter Seven: Confronting Crisis
- Chapter Eight: Meeting the Press
- Chapter Nine: What Wrestling Can Teach
- Chapter Ten: Battling Bureaucracy
- Chapter Eleven: Lessons from the Worldâs Most Successful Leadership Organization
- Chapter Twelve: Inside the Oval Office
- Chapter Thirteen: The Case for Capitalism
- Chapter Fourteen: The Optimism of Will
- Acknowledgments
- Appendix A: Rumsfeldâs Timeline
- Appendix B: Rumsfeldâs Rules (Unabridged)
- Notes
- About the Author
- Also by Donald Rumsfeld
- Credits
- Copyright
- About the Publisher