If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right.

If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it.

Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive.

If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.

Strive to make proposed solutions as self-executing as possible. As the degree of discretion increases, so too does bureaucracy, delay, and expense.

Know that the immediate staff and others in the Administration will assume that your manner, tone and tempo reflect the President's.

Sausage making and policy-making shouldn't be seen close-up.