Rumsfeld's Rules
Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life
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Narrated by:
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Donald Rumsfeld
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By:
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Donald Rumsfeld
About this listen
The legendary leadership guide, distilled from a lifetime of wisdom and experience in government and business...
Throughout his long and 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."
Meanwhile, the collection continued to grow as Rumsfeld added new rules derived from things he read, heard, or observed in more than eight decades of a remarkable life. Now, these legendary rules are made available for the first time to corporate executives. Rumsfeld has selected his most useful and important rules for effective leadership, enhanced with fresh insights and entertaining anecdotes, and discusses them in the blunt and witty style that made his Pentagon press conferences "must-see TV".
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.
The audiobook provides unprecedented insight into leadership, management, strategy, and life-thinking that not only helped Rumsfeld lead the Pentagon in wartime, but earned him a reputation as one of America's toughest and most effective CEOs.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2013 Donald Rumsfeld (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Obama's Wars
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Boyd Gaines
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Working behind the scenes for 18 months, Bob Woodward has written the most intimate and sweeping portrait of President Obama making the critical decisions on the Afghanistan War, the secret war in Pakistan, and the worldwide fight against terrorism.
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Woodward Does a Service
- By Roy on 10-01-10
By: Bob Woodward
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In the Path of Abraham
- How Donald Trump Made Peace in the Middle East—and How to Stop Joe Biden from Unmaking It
- By: Jason D. Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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This book charts the remarkable journey of Jason D. Greenblatt, who spent nearly two decades in various senior positions at the Trump Organization—including as an Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer—and his subsequent appointment by President Trump as an Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations. Jason was also assigned the position of White House Special Envoy to the Middle East, playing a key role in the Peace to Prosperity Plan.
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Great listen
- By Amazon Customer on 12-29-23
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It Worked for Me
- In Life and Leadership
- By: Colin Powell
- Narrated by: Colin Powell
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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It Worked for Me is filled with vivid experiences and lessons learned that have shaped the legendary career of the four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. At its heart are Powell's "Thirteen Rules" - such as "Get mad, then get over it" and "Share credit" - that introduce his principles for effective leadership: conviction, hard work, and, above all, respect for others. A natural storyteller, Powell offers warm and engaging parables with wise advice on succeeding in the workplace and beyond.
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It worked for me too.
- By Ian on 06-04-12
By: Colin Powell
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Before the First Shots Are Fired
- How America Can Win or Lose Off the Battlefield
- By: Tony Koltz, Tony Zinni
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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For the better part of the last half century, the United States has been the world's police, claiming to defend ideologies, allies, and our national security through brute force. But is military action always the most appropriate response? Drawing on his vast experience, retired four-star general Tony Zinni argues that we have a lot of work to do to make the process of going to war-or not-more clear-eyed and ultimately successful.
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A must read for leaders
- By Ted on 06-17-22
By: Tony Koltz, and others
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The Promise
- President Obama, Year One
- By: Jonathan Alter
- Narrated by: Jonathan Alter
- Length: 20 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Barack Obama’s inauguration as president on January 20, 2009, inspired the world. But the great promise of “Change We Can Believe In” was immediately tested by the threat of another Great Depression, a worsening war in Afghanistan, and an entrenched and deeply partisan system of business as usual in Washington. Despite all the coverage, the backstory of Obama’s historic first year in office has until now remained a mystery.
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Tiresome
- By Matthew on 05-21-10
By: Jonathan Alter
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In My Time
- A Personal and Political Memoir
- By: Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann, Dick Cheney
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
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In his unmistakable voice and with an insider's eye on history, former Vice President Dick Cheney tells the story of his life and the nearly four decades he has spent at the center of American politics and power. In My Time is truly the last word about an incredible political era, by a man who lived it and helped define it - with courage and without compromise.
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Great Book
- By reader on 09-05-11
By: Dick Cheney, and others
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Reagan's Secret War
- The Untold Story of His Fight to Save the World from Nuclear Disaster
- By: Martin Anderson, Annelise Anderson
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Martin and Annelise Anderson drew upon their access to more than eight million classified documents housed within the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. What emerges from this treasure trove of material is evidence that Reagan intended from his first days in office to bring down the Soviet Union, that he considered eliminating nuclear weapons his paramount objective, and that he was the principal architect of the policies that brought the Soviets to the nuclear-arms negotiating table.
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IMPORTANT HISTORICAL INFORMATION
- By Byron on 06-19-12
By: Martin Anderson, and others
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Bush
- By: Jean Edward Smith
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In Bush, Jean Edward Smith demonstrates that it was not Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, or Condoleezza Rice, but President Bush himself who took personal control of foreign policy. Bush drew on his deep religious conviction that important foreign-policy decisions were simply a matter of good versus evil. Domestically, he overreacted to 9/11 and endangered Americans' civil liberties.
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Delusions of Competence
- By Rick on 11-18-16
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Reagan
- The Life
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 31 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Ronald Reagan today is a conservative icon, celebrated for transforming the American domestic agenda and playing a crucial part in ending communism in the Soviet Union. In his masterful new biography, H. W. Brands argues that Reagan, along with FDR, was the most consequential president of the 20th century. Reagan took office at a time when the public sector, after a half century of New Deal liberalism, was widely perceived as bloated and inefficient, an impediment to personal liberty.
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Very little about Reagan
- By Jack Merritt on 07-30-15
By: H. W. Brands
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Kissinger: Volume I
- 1923-1968: The Idealist
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 34 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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No American statesman has been as revered and as reviled as Henry Kissinger. Once hailed as "Super-K" - the "indispensable man" whose advice has been sought by every president from Kennedy to Obama - he has also been hounded by conspiracy theorists, scouring his every "telcon" for evidence of Machiavellian malfeasance. Yet as Niall Ferguson shows in this magisterial biography, the idea of Kissinger as the ruthless arch-realist is based on a profound misunderstanding.
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Riveting
- By Jean on 11-10-15
By: Niall Ferguson
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My Journey at the Nuclear Brink
- By: William Perry
- Narrated by: Kevin F Spalding
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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My Journey at the Nuclear Brink is a continuation of William J. Perry's efforts to keep the world safe from a nuclear catastrophe. It tells the story of his coming of age in the nuclear era, his role in trying to shape and contain it, and how his thinking has changed about the threat these weapons pose. In a remarkable career, Perry has dealt firsthand with the changing nuclear threat.
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His journey has just begun
- By Amazon Customer on 04-18-17
By: William Perry
What listeners say about Rumsfeld's Rules
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Herb
- 07-16-13
Great guidelines for leadership.
What made the experience of listening to Rumsfeld's Rules the most enjoyable?
Information that I could use every day in my pursuit of excellence.
What about Donald Rumsfeld’s performance did you like?
The author did a great job of relating his points to the listener.
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- Fernando Silva
- 12-03-14
like him or not
Would you listen to Rumsfeld's Rules again? Why?
this is a book about leadership not politics whether you like Mr, Rumsfeld or not his life has given him a unique opportunity to provide invaluable leadership tips
What other book might you compare Rumsfeld's Rules to and why?
The diametric opposite of this book but in the same category is the 48 Laws of Power
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
A great leaders companion
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- Jason
- 06-22-15
Outstanding rules to live by
From a lifetime of experience, Donald Rumsfeld has compiled a thoughtful list of rules to live by. I highly recommend spending time to study how these rules might apply to your own life, and even see if there are things about yourself you can change. The rules cover a broad range of topics and provide some clever insights that he's gained from his lifelong experience. I really enjoy the fact that Mr. Rumsfeld narrated this audiobook. This makes the book seem even more personable and applicable.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Steven Albert
- 01-18-21
Great Stories Told by a True Leader
I greatly appreciated reading this book. The stories told were so detailed, provided insights to important historical events, and gave perspective on leadership decisions as they unfolded many times on the world stage. Donald Rumsfeld provided our nation (and the world) many positive outcomes where it would have otherwise been led astray. His keen instinct, knowledge, and sense of following process are leadership skills necessary to make the hard decisions he had to make. Thanks for sharing this with the world.
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- G. Niemeyer
- 06-26-13
Well Done
Where does Rumsfeld's Rules rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Great easy listen with great quotes.
What did you like best about this story?
Wasn't really a Rumsfeld fan, but had to rethink my opinion
What about Donald Rumsfeld’s performance did you like?
Did a good job
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- John
- 09-01-13
A Great Compendium of Life Lessons
Don Rumsfeld has led a long and fascinating life. This book contains his rules to live by, and anyone can benefit from listening.
The book is filled with entertaining stories and history. The book is not particularly political, although Rumsfeld is, of course, a Republican. One thing that really comes through in the book is how Rumsfeld is willing to take hard looks back at his decisions, and he is more than willing to admit mistakes or to discuss how something might have been handled in a better way. This increased my level of respect for him.
Rumsfeld narrates the book and does a good job. Sometimes, authors are not the best narrators, but not a problem here.
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- Tim
- 08-16-14
Great Leadership Principles!
What did you love best about Rumsfeld's Rules?
The "take aways" for a leader.
What other book might you compare Rumsfeld's Rules to and why?
I have read known and unknown it was equally good.
Any additional comments?
I have recommended this to several of my staff. I think there are some good lessons for anyone who wishes to be a leader.
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- Joe Huertas
- 12-05-14
Excellent Read!
Would you consider the audio edition of Rumsfeld's Rules to be better than the print version?
Good stuff to be mindful of. Insights throughout. You may not agree with his politics, but when it comes to day to day management, leadership, etc., his wisdom and counsel shine.
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- Peter
- 06-06-20
Insightful and broadening horizons
I bet you can find a rule or two for yourself.
It's hard tuo find a particular one though... all are forcing toy tuo think.
Great listen to a great man!
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- Al
- 08-05-13
Good leadership lessons
Good leadership lessons, at some times it went too much into theoretical stuff, instead of practical, but still well worth a read.
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