Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well.

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.

Those who made the decisions with imperfect knowledge will be judged in hindsight by those with considerably more information at their disposal and time for reflection.

You might be a cunning linguist, but I am a master debater.

Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House.

The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't do it.

Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive.