I was chastised several times during my first month because I sent material directly to Lippert and Donilon without first getting approvals from other Senior Directors, who had their own views on the topic. This sin of bypassing colleagues with equities was termed a “process foul,” and being guilty of it felt akin to committing a crime. Over time, however, I came to appreciate the importance of fidelity to “process”—especially when colleagues tried to send the President material that didn’t offer a perspective on how a decision might impact human rights. I saw early on how few voices in
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