Kurt Lewin

GROUP DYNAMICS. It seems axiomatic that groups have a life of their own andthat they influence the individuals within them, and vice versa. But that idea, along with the very phrase "group dynamics," was the contribution of a singular psychologist who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in the 1930s. Kurt Lewin permanently widened the lens of psychology, demonstrating that human behavior is the product not simply of personal characteristics, instincts and other forces within us, but also of the complex, dynamic environment we inhabit. He summed his beliefs up in his "field theory," contending that we all occupy a "life space" that comprises both internal and external factors, including other people. Lewin also tested his novel theories, and in doing so laid the foundation for modern research in human relations? We couldn't understand leadership without his groundbreaking work. Because of Kurt Lewin, psychology today sees us as social beings.