“There's a lot of books out there about how you lead change in business, but I've certainly not seen any... on how you do that in public institutions.” BookInstitutions Author:Robert M. Gates
“Well, I've ruffled a few feathers at all the institutions I've led. But I think that's part of leadership.” ThinkingWellsInstitutionsFeathers Author:Robert M. Gates
“I mean, when you get down to very low numbers of nuclear weapons, and you contemplate going to zero, how do you deal with the reality of that technology being available to almost any country that seeks to pursue it? And what conditions do you put in place?” MeanCountryRealityDealsNumbersTechnologyConditionsWeaponsLowsAvailableNuclearPursueZeroContemplatingNuclear Weapons Author:Robert M. Gates
“I've been very sensitive for a long time to the repeated pattern, during economic hard times or after a war, of the United States' essentially unilaterally disarming.” LongWarHardStatesUnitedUnited StatesEconomicLong TimePatternsSensitiveHard TimesDisarming Author:Robert M. Gates
“I've seen, all too often in my career, people coming in to lead agencies and organizations and trying to impose change from the top down. Never works. You never have enough time.” PeopleTryingEnoughCareersOrganizationAgencyEnough TimeTop Down Author:Robert M. Gates
“I've spent my entire adult life with the United States as a superpower and one that had no compunction about spending what it took to sustain that position. And it didn't have to look over its shoulder because our economy was so strong.” LooksStatesStrongUnitedUnited StatesEconomyPositionAdultsSpendingShouldersOver ItSuperpowerCompunction Author:Robert M. Gates
“If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything in recent history, it is the unpredictability of war and that these things are easier to get into than to get out of, and, frankly, the facile way in which too many people talk about, 'Well, let's just go attack them.” PeopleIfsWayWellsWarTaughtEasierIraqAfghanistanTaught UsUnpredictability Author:Robert M. Gates
“One of the big changes in the Congress since I first came to Washington is that all of these folks go home every weekend. They used to play golf together; their families got to know each other, go to dinner at each other's homes at weekends - and these would be people who were political adversaries.” PeopleKnowsFirstsPlayHomeBigsWould BeTogetherPoliticalUsedGolfCongressFolksDinnerWeekendAdversariesBig Changes Author:Robert M. Gates
“Some people have said, in so many words, that I'm kind of wooly-headed in believing that the Iranians would see not having nuclear weapons as more in their security interest than not.” PeopleBelieveKindSaidInterestSecurityWeaponsNuclearNuclear Weapons Author:Robert M. Gates