--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that we can all learn from what…" description: "\"I think that we can all learn from what smart companies are doing. My objective is to demonstrate what's possible, even during tough economic times. Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/james-a-champy-34720_behavior_i-think-that-we-can-all-learn-from-what_338676.jpg" --- # I think that we can all learn from what smart companies… ![“I think that we can all learn from what smart companies are doing. My objective is to demonstrate what's possible, even during tough economic times. This is a period of great business dislocation, but that means it's also the time to try new things. This will be a challenge for existing companies…” quote by James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/james-a-champy-34720_behavior_i-think-that-we-can-all-learn-from-what_338676.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/james-a-champy-34720_behavior_i-think-that-we-can-all-learn-from-what_338676.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/james-a-champy-34720_behavior_i-think-that-we-can-all-learn-from-what_338676.jpg) > “I think that we can all learn from what smart companies are doing. My objective is to demonstrate what's possible, even during tough economic times. This is a period of great business dislocation, but that means it's also the time to try new things. This will be a challenge for existing companies. But the behaviors of smart companies can be learned.” [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in economic downturns, observing how successful firms adapt reveals opportunities for others to innovate and thrive. **In simple terms:** Learn from thriving firms during tough times. Key Takeaway Adapt and experiment with new strategies. Themes innovation resilience learning Mood optimistic strategic Type motivational advice When to use this quote - startup pivots - corporate restructuring - market analysis Key Concepts strategic agility economic cycles Questions to Reflect On - What can your organization adopt from resilient firms? - How to balance risk with opportunity? A Different Perspective Not all tactics work for every company; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Companies Behaviors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-behaviors-3153852/) [Companies Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-doing-269733/) [Companies Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-learned-3153851/) [Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic/) [Economic times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-times/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Great business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-business/) [Learn Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-smart-1992489/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [New things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-things/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-companies-1427413/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough/) [Try new things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-new-things/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [The need to be thoughtful about experiment design is particularly acute within large companies, since some of the behaviors, such as having small teams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/the-need-to-be-thoughtful-about-experiment-design-is-particularly/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [System uptime, data protection, and identity theft are weighty issues. It takes real ingenuity to out-think the fraudsters who are trying to steal identities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-shipley/system-uptime-data-protection-and-identity-theft-are-weighty-issues/) [Chris Shipley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-shipley/) > [I love to learn I am so smart and best o n the test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kawana-gooding/i-love-to-learn-i-am-so-smart-and-best-o-n-the-test/) [Kawana Gooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kawana-gooding/) > [Most smart companies should make themselves media companies. That means they put out their own information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-edelman/most-smart-companies-should-make-themselves-media-companies-that/) [Richard Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-edelman/) > [It took me better than a quarter century to learn, the hard way, that hard work at something you want to be doing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spider-robinson/it-took-me-better-than-a-quarter-century-to-learn-the-hard-way-that/) [Spider Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spider-robinson/) > [I brought one big question with me to Harvard. Why do smart companies fail?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/i-brought-one-big-question-with-me-to-harvard-why-do-smart-companies/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [Smart companies fail because they do everything right. They cater to high-profit-margin customers and ignore the low end of the market, where disruptive innovations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/smart-companies-fail-because-they-do-everything-right-they-cater-to/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [You don't learn from smart people, you learn from idiots. Watch what they do, and then don't do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-wanderone/you-don-t-learn-from-smart-people-you-learn-from-idiots-watch-what/) [Rudolf Wanderone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-wanderone/) > [I was not too stupid to learn, but too smart. Some instinct must have warned me that a woman accomplished in the domestic arts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corra-may-harris/i-was-not-too-stupid-to-learn-but-too-smart-some-instinct-must-have/) [Corra May Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corra-may-harris/) > [Behind all the hype shaping the electronic highway are corporate interests. These huge companies are doing the most natural thing in the world to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-schiller/behind-all-the-hype-shaping-the-electronic-highway-are-corporate/) [Herbert Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-schiller/) > ["No one is doing what we're doing." This is a bummer of a lie because there are only two logical conclusions. First, no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/no-one-is-doing-what-we-re-doing-this-is-a-bummer-of-a-lie-because/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [The best business returns are usually achieved by companies that are doing something quite similar today to what they were doing five or ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-best-business-returns-are-usually-achieved-by-companies-that-are/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [To say you're going to wiggle your nose and that is going to happen, it won't happen. If you look at major companies who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/to-say-you-re-going-to-wiggle-your-nose-and-that-is-going-to-happen/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [Telecom companies are doing very, very well. And the internet economy is doing very, very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/telecom-companies-are-doing-very-very-well-and-the-internet-economy/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [If high-tech companies are serious about doing the right thing, they can join together and lobby for more transparency and accountability in the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-high-tech-companies-are-serious-about-doing-the-right-thing-they/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) ## More by James A. Champy > [When a change initiative is focused on changing a company's culture directly, it can take five to ten years to accomplish its objective. Company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/when-a-change-initiative-is-focused-on-changing-a-company-s-culture/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [Most business leaders don't consider their own causality in the creation of problems. They fail to see that their company could have avoided breakdowns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/most-business-leaders-don-t-consider-their-own-causality-in-the/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [People must know that their ideas will be listened to and, if they have merit, acted upon. If they do, it is possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/people-must-know-that-their-ideas-will-be-listened-to-and-if-they/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [Very soon, most companies will need to have a global operating model - even if you only sell locally. Even mid-sized companies will source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/very-soon-most-companies-will-need-to-have-a-global-operating-model/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [We are a great capitalist society, that works most of the time. We do need to take better care of our people and fix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/we-are-a-great-capitalist-society-that-works-most-of-the-time-we-do/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [There is not much new in management, but there is a lot new in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/there-is-not-much-new-in-management-but-there-is-a-lot-new-in-business/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [I think that people still naturally want to be part of a team and participate in the success and achievement of a group effort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/i-think-that-people-still-naturally-want-to-be-part-of-a-team-and/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [I think that many people have lost their sense of loyalty to their company. That's because very few companies remain loyal to their people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/i-think-that-many-people-have-lost-their-sense-of-loyalty-to-their/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [People get caught up in formulaic answers. When one doesn't work, they just go on to the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/people-get-caught-up-in-formulaic-answers-when-one-doesn-t-work-they/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [My engineering training taught me to be a systems thinker. I looked at companies as "systems" and saw work as a system of tasks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/my-engineering-training-taught-me-to-be-a-systems-thinker-i-looked-at/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [Without ambition no conquests are made, and no business created. Ambition is the root of all achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/without-ambition-no-conquests-are-made-and-no-business-created/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [A change initiative can fail for multiple reasons - in fact, there are just too many things that can go wrong. The focus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/a-change-initiative-can-fail-for-multiple-reasons-in-fact-there-are/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) > [I used to believe that you could change the culture or behavior of a company. I still believe it's possible, but it is at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-champy/i-used-to-believe-that-you-could-change-the-culture-or-behavior-of-a/) [James A. Champy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) [Explore all 14 James A. Champy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-champy/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. Willard Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-gibbs/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that we can all learn from what smart companies are doing. My objective is to demonstrate what's possible, even during tough economic times. This is a period of great business dislocation, but that means it's also the time to try new things. This will be a challenge for existing companies. But the behaviors of smart companies can be learned.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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