Lewin's 3-Step Model Kurt Lewin, often credited as the "founder of modern social psychology," was one of the first to study the dynamics group, action research, task interdependence, and organizational development. In the late 1930s and 1940s, Lewin postulated that behavior was the reaction to opposing forces (Lewin, 1948). According to his theory, an organization changes by going through three phases: thawing, changing and refreezing. The analysis of opposing forces can push the balance to change (Theory of Behavioral Change, 2007). In the first phase, unfreezing, the organization must overcome the status quo, including individual resistance and group conformity. An organization can achieve this change by increasing the forces behind the change, decreasing the influences of resistance, or a combination of the above-mentioned methods (Lewin, 1948). The second step of Lewin's Model of Change is change. This step transitions the group from the current system to the new condition. Baum states, “At a basic level, we are all resistant to change” (Baum, 2000). This resistance requires continually promoting change and easing fears. Lewin encourages leaders to continue the efforts begun in the first step (Lewin, 1948). The third step of Lewin's Model of Change is refreezing into the new equilibrium (Lewin, 1948). At this stage, leaders must strive to prevent the organization from returning to its old ways. Individuals and organizations have a tendency to fall back into what is comfortable instead of sticking with change (Behavioral Change Theory, 2007). Reinforcing the new models and rewarding those who use the new model helps cement the new behaviors. Dean Keith McFarland of the Pepperdine University School of Business compares change to a bouncing ball in his book Bounce. Imagine a hard ball as the most resistant to the impact of change....... middle of paper......Satir, Virginia and Michele Baldwin. (1984). Satir Step by Step: A Guide to Creating Change in Families. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books. Satires, Virginia, et. al. (1991), The Satir Model: Family Therapy and Beyond, Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books. Snair, S. (2004). West Point Leadership Lessons: Duty, Honor, and Other Management Principles. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. Szollose, B. (2010). Liquid Leadership: From Woodstock to Wikipedia: Multigenerational Management Ideas That Are Changing the Way We Run Things. Austin, Texas: Greenleaf Book Group Press. White, B. J., & Prywes, Y. (2007). The Nature of Leadership: Reptiles, Mammals, and the Challenge of Becoming a Great Leader. New York, NY: AMACOM American Management Association.