What Sir Isaac Newton Taught Me About Teamwork

We rarely connect physics to team dynamics—but we should. Newton’s Laws of Motion aren’t just for objects in motion; they apply to people and organizations too. Here’s how:

Newton’s First Law: The Law of Inertia

"An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force."

Think of your team member who keeps making the same mistake or behaving in an undesired manner. Or of a team that constantly goes in the wrong direction or has problems with their dynamics. The only way to change that motion is by an external force - taking action – correcting them, providing feedback and guidance.

Newton’s Third Law: The Law of Action and Reaction

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

I like to translate this one to “what goes around comes around”.

In teams, every behavior—supportive or toxic—creates a ripple and a counter action:

• When one person steps up, others often follow.

• When one undermines or disengages, it silently invites the same in others.

  
  

Dr. Ralph Stacy talked about Complex Responsive Processes, addressing how individuals in organization impact each other and the awareness of that impact. If we remember that our actions, words and behaviors have an impact on others, we can be more intentional with how we interact.

Sir Isaac Newton wasn’t writing for HR, but he could have been. Teams are systems. And systems obey laws—whether we acknowledge them or not.

·          Change the direction of motion by acting on it.

·          Own your impact.

What small force will you apply today?