Rumsfeld's Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life
Written by Donald Rumsfeld
Narrated by Donald Rumsfeld
4/5
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About this audiobook
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.
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld was the United States Secretary of Defense for Gerald R. Ford and George W. Bush. He served as chair of the Rumsfeld Foundation, which was dedicated to the support of leadership and public service at home and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. He is survived by his wife Joyce, their three children, seven grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. He died in 2021.
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Reviews for Rumsfeld's Rules
15 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Agree with his politics or not, “Rumsfeld’s Rules” is a clear insight into contemporary philosophical thinking on leadership. While citing his political experiences as points of reference, Rumsfeld steers clear of political commentary, concentrating instead on the universal characteristics of good leadership. It is well written, concise, and richly imbued with pertinent quotes from great historical figures. An easy read and yet something to be kept as a reference.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5If we remember Rumsfeld at all, former Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush, it's as the guy who gave a press conference and spoke of the known knowns, the known unknowns, and the unknown unknowns. Well it turns out the man has spent a life-time collecting words of wisdom of this type and he's collected these here on this new primer on leadership and career development. You don't have to be a Republican or a conservative to benefit from his advice, culled from a life-time spent in both the public and private sectors. He has many good and worthwhile pointers and the book contains a lot of wisdom and practical tips. The book is largely apolitical, however, he reserves most of his policy praise for Republican presidents and his chapter on the virtues of capitalism struck me as a bit polemical. This book was good subway reading and I'd recommend it to those looking to sharpen their management and leadership skills.