Some beliefs are more powerful than others.
What we believe about the rewards and punishments in life and where they come from exerts an enormous influence on how we orient to the world. More importantly for leaders, those beliefs shape how we perform and excel in the workplace.
In the 1950s, psychologist Julian Rotter proposed that people differ in their locus of control. Those who see life and its assorted outcomes as a function of their hard work, skill, and perseverance possess an internal locus of control. Whereas those who see the majority of the rewards and punishments in life stemming from luck, higher authority, or powerful others are said to hold an external locus of control.
Since Rotter proposed that idea more than six decades ago, hundreds of studies have shown that a person’s locus of control has a profound impact on how they experience the workplace.
Those with an internal locus of control consistently report higher job satisfaction, lower stress, and lower attrition. Because internals believe they have personal control over rewards and events, they partake in actions perceived to help them attain those rewards.
Not surprisingly, they are more likely to seek and act on feedback, develop the critical skills linked to high performance, and take the initiative to learn and innovate. They are also more motivated to operate independently to achieve their goals.
So, what about externals? Externals tend to be more satisfied with direct supervision, collaborate more successfully with peers, and are more motivated by rewards other than financial incentives. They are less likely to challenge authority and more likely to accept and adapt to change. Because externals believe factors outside of their control dictate much of what happens to them, such as luck, they are less risk-averse than their internal counterparts.
Given the goals, culture and tasks of any particular organization, it may be beneficial to select talent with more of one belief set than the other. For that reason, many enterprises use the Locus of Control Scale as a part of their selection and hiring process.
Beliefs matter, and some of them define how well we fit in an organization and culture. Perhaps it is worth knowing where you line up regarding your control over events and outcomes. Do you feel lucky? Or does luck have nothing to do with it?
