Leadership and the Frontline Workforce

Gilmore Crosby's mission is to help create a better future for humanity. He believes the most reliable means for doing so is to apply and spread the wisdom and methods of Kurt Lewin. Crosby's credo is asserted in the title of his book: Planned Change: Why Kurt Lewin's Social Science is Still Best Practice for Business Results, Change Management, and Human Progress. He is concerned that the OD profession is distracted by beliefs such as that the human condition has significantly changed (VUCA) and by the search for what is "new." Crosby asserts that most of what passes as "new" is more hype than true substance. Instead, Crosby advocates that change agents from all walks of life would be wise to learn and apply Lewin's universal theory of social science, including concepts such as group dynamics, group decision, the social construction of reality, re-education, field theory, change as three steps, and the democratic principles of leadership. When integrated, these concepts form a systemic approach that can be applied by hourly workers, community organizers, and PhDs alike.

Crosby's career dates back to 1984, following in the footsteps of his father's OD career, which traces back to 1953 and Lewin's inner circle. While embracing the past, Crosby experiments in the present, conducting T-group learning in organizations, online T-groups, and various uses of new technology and social media. His most recent book, Diversity without Dogma, applies Lewinian social science to addressing racism and any form of prejudice.