---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The organization reflects the behavior…"
description: "\"The organization reflects the behavior and characteristics of the CEO, and that establishes the culture. Foster an environment of open communication, a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/peter-levine-25577_behavior_the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-a_1751661.jpg"
---

#  The organization reflects the behavior and characteristics…

![“The organization reflects the behavior and characteristics of the CEO, and that establishes the culture. Foster an environment of open communication, and the organization inherits a culture of open communication.” quote by Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/peter-levine-25577_behavior_the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-a_1751661.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/peter-levine-25577_behavior_the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-a_1751661.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/peter-levine-25577_behavior_the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-a_1751661.jpg)

> “The organization reflects the behavior and characteristics of the CEO, and that establishes the culture. Foster an environment of open communication, and the organization inherits a culture of open communication.”

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A leader’s actions shape the organization’s norms, and open dialogue reinforces a transparent culture.

**In simple terms:** Leaders set culture; communication matters.

Key Takeaway

Promote openness to build culture.

Themes

leadership culture communication transparency

Mood

reflective encouraging

Type

advisory leadership

When to use this quote

- team meetings
- feedback loops
- company policies
- change initiatives

Key Concepts

organizational behavior psychology systems thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you model openness daily?
- What barriers hinder transparent communication?

A Different Perspective

Culture change can be slow despite leadership intent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Characteristics Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characteristics-ceo-1609924/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Communication Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication-organization-1609928/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Establishes Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/establishes-culture-1609926/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Inherits Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherits-culture-1609927/) [Open communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-communication/) [Organization Inherits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization-inherits-1609925/)

## Related quotes

> [“Effective communication within an organization fosters collaboration and fuels success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-bamania/effective-communication-within-an-organization-fosters-collaboration/)

[Dax Bamania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-bamania/)

> [Public Relations is the management of communication between an organization and its publics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-grunig/public-relations-is-the-management-of-communication-between-an/)

[James E. Grunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-grunig/)

> [I very purposely have an open communication culture, where I encourage employees to approach me with their ideas without dominating them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-el-kaliouby/i-very-purposely-have-an-open-communication-culture-where-i-encourage/)

[Rana el Kaliouby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-el-kaliouby/)

> [Honest, open communication is the only street that leads us into the real world... We then begin to grow as never before. And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honest-open-communication-is-the-only-street-that-leads-us-into-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“If you lack open communication and honesty in your life – It’s time to look within. Are you someone who handles heavy, emotional, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaric-hutchinson/if-you-lack-open-communication-and-honesty-in-your-life-it-s-time-to/)

[Alaric Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaric-hutchinson/)

> [We advance in years somewhat in the manner of an invading army in a barren land; the age that we have reached, as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/we-advance-in-years-somewhat-in-the-manner-of-an-invading-army-in-a/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [My wife and I have built trust with our children and have always had open communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-springfield/my-wife-and-i-have-built-trust-with-our-children-and-have-always-had/)

[Rick Springfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-springfield/)

> [Open communication is the biggest turn-on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-sebastian/open-communication-is-the-biggest-turn-on/)

[Guy Sebastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-sebastian/)

> [“With adversaries’ malware in the National Grid, the nation has little or no chance of withstanding a major cyberattack on the North American electrical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/with-adversaries-malware-in-the-national-grid-the-nation-has-little/)

[Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/)

> [By friendship you mean the greatest love, the greatest usefulness, the most open communication, the noblest sufferings, the severest truth, the heartiest counsel, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-taylor/by-friendship-you-mean-the-greatest-love-the-greatest-usefulness-the/)

[Jeremy Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-taylor/)

> [“Success in an enterprise can be brought about, through effective leadership, which educes open communication, which in turn would contribute towards bringing down conflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrietta-newton-martin-author-industrial-relations-today/success-in-an-enterprise-can-be-brought-about-through-effective/)

[Henrietta Newton Martin- Author Industrial Relations Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrietta-newton-martin-author-industrial-relations-today/)

> [Trust leads to approachability and open communications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/trust-leads-to-approachability-and-open-communications/)

[Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/)

> [To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients - care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-truly-love-we-must-learn-to-mix-various-ingredients-care-affection/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [Twitter can be incredibly valuable as an open communications mechanism, but if you close too many things down too quickly, if you think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccue/twitter-can-be-incredibly-valuable-as-an-open-communications/)

[Mike McCue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccue/)

> [The internet must be used to maximise open communication and we should encourage the expansion of its use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-zille/the-internet-must-be-used-to-maximise-open-communication-and-we/)

[Helen Zille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-zille/)

## More by Peter Levine

> [If you look back over the history of computing, it started as mainframes or terminals. As PCs or work stations became prevalent, computing moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/if-you-look-back-over-the-history-of-computing-it-started-as/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [I think with the proliferation of mobile devices and then, eventually, the Internet of Things, we literally have supercomputers in our pockets and supercomputers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/i-think-with-the-proliferation-of-mobile-devices-and-then-eventually/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [A self-driving car will have 200-plus CPUs. That's a data center on wheels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/a-self-driving-car-will-have-200-plus-cpus-that-s-a-data-center-on/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [Technical co-founders are great at envisioning where the company's going from a strategic standpoint. They have what I call the 'gut-feel' of building out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/technical-co-founders-are-great-at-envisioning-where-the-company-s/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [There has been an ebb and flow in enterprise IT of centralized versus distributed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/there-has-been-an-ebb-and-flow-in-enterprise-it-of-centralized-versus/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [When you and I go to work, and we use a computer to work and find that our work apps are completely onerous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/when-you-and-i-go-to-work-and-we-use-a-computer-to-work-and-find-that/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [Old companies that had nothing to do with software in the past all have software development activities to unlock the invention that's occurring inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/old-companies-that-had-nothing-to-do-with-software-in-the-past-all/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [As a former CEO and senior executive, there was a time when I did not quite understand the profound impact a CEO has on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/as-a-former-ceo-and-senior-executive-there-was-a-time-when-i-did-not/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [Doing processing locally has its advantages. For instance, the cost of an endpoint CPU and memory is a 1000x cheaper than the cost of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/doing-processing-locally-has-its-advantages-for-instance-the-cost-of/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [There's going to be a symbiotic relationship between the edge and the cloud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/there-s-going-to-be-a-symbiotic-relationship-between-the-edge-and-the/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [In the old days, I'd have to go as a company, buy computer resources, buy servers, buy storage, and lash it all together. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/in-the-old-days-i-d-have-to-go-as-a-company-buy-computer-resources/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [It's easier to coach a technical founder how to be CEO and manage a business than it is to teach a professional CEO the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/it-s-easier-to-coach-a-technical-founder-how-to-be-ceo-and-manage-a/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [Probably, if I created a venture fund, I would create a firm with virtual services not too different from the a16z model, but without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/probably-if-i-created-a-venture-fund-i-would-create-a-firm-with/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [With the premise that we look for technical co-founders to run a company, I view myself as being a coach to that technical co-founder.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/with-the-premise-that-we-look-for-technical-co-founders-to-run-a/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

> [I have really become a huge believer in the power of open source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/i-have-really-become-a-huge-believer-in-the-power-of-open-source/)

[Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

[Explore all 23 Peter Levine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/)

## 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": "The organization reflects the behavior and characteristics of the CEO, and that establishes the culture. Foster an environment of open communication, and the organization inherits a culture of open communication.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Levine"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-and-characteristics-of-the-ceo/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Behavior"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-and-characteristics-of-the-ceo/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/peter-levine-25577_behavior_the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-a_1751661.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/peter-levine-25577_behavior_the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-a_1751661.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/peter-levine-25577_behavior_the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-a_1751661.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The organization reflects the behavior and characteristics of the CEO, and that establishes the culture…” — Peter Levine",
                "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": "Peter Levine",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The organization reflects the behavior and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-and-characteristics-of-the-ceo/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/the-organization-reflects-the-behavior-and-characteristics-of-the-ceo/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
