RUMSFELD’S RULES

BY DONALD RUMSFELD

60-SECOND BOOK BRIEFS

Donald Rumsfeld has seen it all in his career - as both a businessman and a politician. He wrote the book Rumsfeld’s Rules to (among other things) help us lead in a crisis. Here are his 5 rules.

Trust your instincts. Whatever crisis you find yourself in, the biggest mistake you can make is to fall into the trap of thinking that there’s a perfect response plan for you to follow.

RULE 1

Don’t “over control” like a novice pilot. Make sure that you don’t panic, but also make sure that you are seen and heard taking care of business.

RULE 2

First reports are often wrong. Make sure that you have the correct information in your hands before you start mobilizing

any actions that will have long-term consequences.

RULE 3

Speed kills. In the military world, speed creates opportunities, denies the enemy options, and can often be the difference between victory and defeat.

RULE 4

Never waste a good crisis. As a leader, a crisis gives you the opportunity to act boldly to improve things in ways you might not otherwise be able to do.

RULE 5

CREATE YOUR GREATEST WORK

GET THE 12-MINUTE VERSION BY CREATING A FREE ACCOUNT ATWWW.READITFOR.ME