How Locus of Control can Reframe Your Approach to Challenges
How Locus of Control can Reframe Your Approach to Challenges
Part 1: Mindset Strategies to Overcome Challenges
How we approach challenges has a massive impact on where we end up, in both our professional and personal journeys. When we are purposeful with our mindset, we can convert challenges into opportunities and change the hurdles into something that propels us forward instead of allowing ourselves to get stuck in frustration.
In this three-part series, we’ll explore powerful models I frequently use with clients. These are the mindset shifts that can take us from meandering to kicking butt in all facets of our lives.
The Brief
Not enough time to dive deep? You can get the cliff notes version via “The Brief” at the start of every post.
Internal vs. External Locus of Control Mindsets: This idea centers on a fundamental belief - do you have control over the events in your life, or are you subject to the whims of life itself?
An Internal Locus of Control is characterized by personal responsibility and fosters a sense of agency, action, and empowerment.
An Internal Locus of Control helps us navigate challenges with optimism and directs our focus toward what is within our control in any given situation.
Understanding this model breeds self-awareness. When you can label your approach, it's much easier to consciously change it.
To invoke this mindset, focus on what you can control in any given situation.
Embracing the Power of an Internal Locus of Control
In the quest for personal growth and professional excellence, the concept of Locus of Control is a pivotal one. Coined by psychologist Julian B. Rotter in 1954, it's a foundational concept in psychology, focusing on one's belief in the ability to shape life's outcomes. It's divided into two main outlooks: Internal Locus of Control and External Locus of Control. *See the additional resources section for Rotter’s original questionnaire to be able to assess your own baseline.
Internal Locus of Control - is the predominant belief that you are in control of your own life. It’s the “it’s up to you” kind of approach. In this mindset, people tend to take responsibility for their actions, decisions, and the associated outcomes.
External Locus of Control - a belief that external factors, such as luck, fate, or other influences, primarily determine the outcomes of your life. When in this mindset, people tend to feel like they have little control over their circumstances and have a tendency to blame external factors, rather than look to what they can do.
It’s Impact on How We Deal with Challenges
While this model isn’t as cut and dry as it looks, people do tend to lean towards one view or the other. When in an External Locus of Control mindset, we often struggle to see the opportunities ahead. Instead, we can get stuck focusing on obstacles, challenges, and difficulties.
On the other hand, an Internal Locus of Control mindset helps us find the path forward. It helps us remain open to new possibilities, even when a challenge appears daunting. It’s not about denying the crap we have to face, but about seeing it honestly and still staying firmly in the belief that we can and will find a solution.
Ultimately, this shift is about taking our focus from what's holding us back to the actionable steps that are within our control - and that can mean everything in how successful we are in dealing with the hard stuff.
To Illustrate . . .
But how does this actually show up in the real world? Let me illustrate.
This example is loosely based on my experience as an Executive Coach, and many of the things I have seen in my practice in the last ten years. I would never break or jeopardize the confidentiality of my clients or use a direct example. When reading situations such as this, you can assume they are informed by experience but fictitious in nature.
Jane is in Sales at a glossy Tech company. She knows her product well. It is an established product with a good brand reputation, but she is consistently missing her sales targets.
Although she is blind to it, her biggest challenge isn’t the market, but her External Locus of Control mindset. She is consistently pointing to external factors, like market saturation, significant competition, poor product reliability, her personal life, and a strained relationship with her manager, as ways to explain why she is struggling. While of course, she is facing real struggles and hurdles, she can’t seem to get past these and is focusing all her energy into blaming these outside factors, leaving her unable to see all that she could do to help herself. This is ultimately pushing her further into a feeling of helplessness, which will ultimately seal her fate, further reinforcing her unhelpful mindset.
To summarize, her External Locus of Control (focusing on factors outside her control) Mindset contributes to:
Lack of Accountability: She struggles to take ownership of her sales outcomes. She truly believes that the external factors are insurmountable barriers, and it is this very belief that stops her for looking to see how she could improve her sales techniques.
Limited Adaptability: Jane's external locus of control mindset hinders her adaptability. Rather than looking for what could be changed on her end, she sticks rigidly to her existing habits and behaviors, ignoring how she could respond to the changing market dynamics or customer preferences.
Ineffective Problem-Solving: Jane's external locus of control mindset also hinders her problem-solving abilities. She naturally defaults to why something won’t work before ever giving it a real go, leading to missed opportunities.
Lesson to Learn: We are driving our own lives, and successful individuals view themselves as being firmly in the driver’s seat when it comes to all parts of their lives. They take charge of their approach, adapt to changing circumstances, and address challenges proactively. Consistently showing up for life with an external locus of control leads to missed opportunities. Don’t be like Jane.
Tool: Unlocking an Internal Locus of Control
Understanding this concept is the first step in helping you become more aware of your approach to challenges. From there, it is about posing the right question.
If you want to encourage this mindset within yourself or your wider team, shift your thinking by asking an empowering question that emphasizes your sphere of influence. An example:
What can I control in this situation?
Asking this question changes your perspective, directing your attention to what you can influence. It's a simple yet transformative approach that can free you from the grip of external factors and guide you toward proactive problem-solving.
In the subsequent parts of this series, we'll delve deeper into the transformative impact of mindset, including "From Victim to Creator" and "Growth Mindset," to equip you with a holistic approach to personal and professional excellence. Stay tuned as we explore these empowering concepts that can reshape the way you navigate life's challenges.
Additional Resources
Here you’ll find additional resources to take this topic deeper, including a tool that you can use to embed these ideas at a team level.
Questionnaire - Rotter’s Locus of Control Questionnaire & Scale
Team Tool - Circles of Concern, Influence & Control.
Article: Understanding the Circles of Influence (positivepsychology.com)
Book: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
Kate Snowise trained as an Industrial & Organizational Psychologist in New Zealand, before moving to the US ten years ago, where she has since established herself as a prominent Executive Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. She is dedicated to guiding leaders towards deeper self-awareness and supporting people-centric organizations. Recognized as a top Executive Coach by the Coach Federation and Culture Amp, she has also been listed among the Top 15 Coaches in St Paul, MN by Influence Digest. Kate’s thoughts and insights have graced prestigious platforms including FastCompany, Forbes, MindBodyGreen, and Huffington Post.
To learn more about Kate, connect with her on LinkedIn or reach out www.thrive.how.
