--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look for what's missing. Many advisors…" description: "\"Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_able_look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-ca_483736.png" --- # Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a… ![“Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there.” quote by Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_able_look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-ca_483736.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_able_look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-ca_483736.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_able_look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-ca_483736.png) > “Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there.” [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identifies the difficulty of spotting absent elements, not just correcting visible flaws. **In simple terms:** Seeing what's missing is harder than fixing what's present. Key Takeaway Cultivate ability to detect unseen gaps. Themes analysis leadership strategy Mood cautious inquisitive Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - government policy - business planning - risk assessment Key Concepts critical thinking systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - What methods help reveal hidden problems? - How can leaders avoid over‑analysis? A Different Perspective Focusing on gaps may cause paralysis if over‑emphasized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [I got the 'I don't want the normal job' bug. At home, we have countless career advisors who would tell us to work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-friend/i-got-the-i-don-t-want-the-normal-job-bug-at-home-we-have-countless/) [Rupert Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-friend/) > [If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/if-you-foul-up-tell-the-president-and-correct-it-fast-delay-only/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I don't want to tell President Obama how to make a speech. He's a much better speech maker than I am. But I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/i-don-t-want-to-tell-president-obama-how-to-make-a-speech-he-s-a-much/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [ I wouldn't tell the President \[Barack Obama\] or any other official, because we are disappointed by their behavior recently, because we expected this administration… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/i-wouldn-t-tell-the-president-barack-obama-or-any-other-official/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Tell the President to stand up to our enemies, not cower to them or make excuses for them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gilmore/tell-the-president-to-stand-up-to-our-enemies-not-cower-to-them-or/) [Jim Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gilmore/) > [After the separation of children from families seeking to join the United States was embraced as the official policy of our government, we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/after-the-separation-of-children-from-families-seeking-to-join-the/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) > [Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based-on-what-the-real-world-is/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [When Obama's economic advisers - a greater group of schlemiels would be hard to find - warn that failure to raise the limit will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/when-obama-s-economic-advisers-a-greater-group-of-schlemiels-would-be/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [“Who can tell me which president had a cross-eyed wife with a bad case of the uglies?" Chaney asked. "Make sure you get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/who-can-tell-me-which-president-had-a-cross-eyed-wife-with-a-bad-case/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [Any time you tell the president of the United States you're not there, is it difficult? I would say extremely difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/any-time-you-tell-the-president-of-the-united-states-you-re-not-there/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [Everyone asks me, what do you tell President Trump he should do? I don't have to tell Donald Trump he should do anything. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bessent/everyone-asks-me-what-do-you-tell-president-trump-he-should-do-i-don/) [Scott Bessent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bessent/) > [I would like to tell you as the president of the republic, I am not embarrassed to listen to the Youth of my country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosni-mubarak/i-would-like-to-tell-you-as-the-president-of-the-republic-i-am-not/) [Hosni Mubarak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosni-mubarak/) > [Well, that's going to be up to the pundits and the people to make up their mind. I'll tell you what is a president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/well-that-s-going-to-be-up-to-the-pundits-and-the-people-to-make-up/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I love the fact that I'm in New York, because I'm away from all of that. It's very unusual for any of my counterparts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-haley/i-love-the-fact-that-i-m-in-new-york-because-i-m-away-from-all-of/) [Nikki Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-haley/) > [“It’s a fact. They’re gonna stop making liquor and in a few years the country will be dry. A man that works hard has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/it-s-a-fact-they-re-gonna-stop-making-liquor-and-in-a-few-years-the/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## More by Donald Rumsfeld > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-believe-anyone-that-i-know-in-the-administration-ever-said/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I don't think we'll discover anything, myself. I think what will happen is we'll discover people who will tell us where to go find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-think-we-ll-discover-anything-myself-i-think-what-will-happen/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/members-of-the-u-s-house-and-the-u-s-senate-are-not-there-by-accident/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-federal-government-should-be-the-last-resort-not-the-first-ask-if/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-price-of-being-close-to-the-president-is-delivering-bad-news-you/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-speak-ill-of-your-predecessors-or-successors-you-didn-t-walk-in/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/if-you-can-t-solve-a-problem-make-it-bigger/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/enjoy-your-time-in-public-service-it-may-well-be-one-of-the-most/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [There will be good moments, and there will be less good moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-will-be-good-moments-and-there-will-be-less-good-moments/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [From where you sit, the White House may look as untidy as the inside of a stomach. As is said of the legislative process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/from-where-you-sit-the-white-house-may-look-as-untidy-as-the-inside/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/you-will-launch-many-projects-but-have-time-to-finish-only-a-few-so/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [What is the value of having millions of people in Iraq not having a repressive regime? What is the value of having the Iraqi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/what-is-the-value-of-having-millions-of-people-in-iraq-not-having-a/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-be-a-bottleneck-if-a-matter-is-not-a-decision-for-the-president/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [When you're skiing, if you're not falling you're not trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/when-you-re-skiing-if-you-re-not-falling-you-re-not-trying/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) [Explore all 234 Donald Rumsfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Rumsfeld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-can-tell-a-president-how-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-can-tell-a-president-how-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_able_look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-ca_483736.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_able_look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-ca_483736.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_able_look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-ca_483736.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone…” — Donald Rumsfeld", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Donald Rumsfeld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Look for what's missing. Many advisors...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-can-tell-a-president-how-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/look-for-what-s-missing-many-advisors-can-tell-a-president-how-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```