LOCUS OF CONTROL: STOP MAKING

EXCUSES AND START TAKING

RESPONSIBILITY
2013 JUNE 5 STEVE NGUYEN, PH.D.

Photo Credit: Flickr

[NOTE: This post was updated August 2016]
In my former career as a mental health counselor, I encountered many
clients who struggled with taking charge of their own lives. While their
struggles might have differed, the idea behind helping them was almost
always the same, and quite basic. Were taught to guide clients from seeing
themselves as being victims of lifes circumstances to being movers of those
life events. In other words, help clients reach deep within to draw on their
own inner strength and capacity to take charge.
There are two types of locus of control: internal (inside) and external
(outside). Internal locus of control is the belief that you are in
charge of the events that occur in [your] life (Northouse, 2013, p.
141), while external locus of control is the belief that chance, fate,
or outside forces determine life events (p. 141).
Individuals with an internal locus of control believe their behaviors are
guided by their personal decisions and efforts and they have control over
those things they can change. Having an internal locus of control is linked to
self-efficacy, the belief you have about being able to do something
successfully (Donatelle, 2011). People with an external locus of control see
their behaviors and lives as being controlled by luck or fate. These
individuals view themselves (i.e., their lives and circumstances) as victims of
life and bad luck.

People differ in whether they feel they control the

consequences of their actions or are controlled by external
factors. External control personality types believe that luck,
fate, or powerful external forces control their
destiny. Internal control personality types believe they control
what happens to them (Champoux, 2011, p. 113).
In leadership and management, this concept of locus of control is the
same. Whether its coaching top executives, middle management, or
rank and file employees, the idea is to get them to stop making
excuses and/or blame other people, events, or things (i.e. external
locus of control), and instead start taking responsibilities (i.e.,
internal locus of control) for them.
If you really listen, youll often hear people describe their lives or work
as spinning out of control or they felt they had very little control over or
were not in control of their lives. However, when things improve, youll hear
them say that theyve started feeling more in control or regaining
control over their lives again. When the locus of control shifts from the
external to the internal frame, clients find more energy, motivation,
and greater confidence to change (Moore & Tschannen-Moran, 2010, p.
75).
In business and leadership, the benefit of having an internal locus of
control is applicable to all individuals at all levels within an organization:
1. An internal locus of control is one of the key traits of an effective
leader (Yukl, 2006).
A leader with an internal locus of control is likely to be favored by group
members. One reason is that an internal person is perceived as more
powerful than an external person because he or she takes responsibility for
events. The leader with an internal locus of control would emphasize that he
or she can change unfavorable conditions (Dubrin, 2010, p. 47).

2. An internal locus of control separates good from bad

managers (Yukl, 2006).
Effective managers . . . demonstrated a strong belief in self-efficacy and
internal locus of control, as evidenced by behavior such as initiating action
(rather than waiting for things to happen), taking steps to circumvent
obstacles, seeking information from a variety of sources, and accepting
responsibility for success or failure (Yukl, 2006, pp. 185-186).

3. Employees locus of control affect leadership behavior in decision-

making (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2012).
Internal-locus-of-control followers, who believed outcomes were a result of
their own decisions, were much more satisfied with leaders who exhibited
participative behaviors than they were with leaders who were directive.
Conversely, external-locus-of-control followers were more satisfied
with directive leader behaviors than they were with participative
leader behaviors. Followers perceptions of their own skills and
abilities to perform particular tasks can also affect the impact of
certain leader behaviors. Followers who believe they are perfectly
capable of performing a task are not as apt to be motivated by, or
as willing to accept, a directive leader as they would a leader who
exhibits participative behaviors (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2012,
pp. 544-545).

There is also evidence that internals are better able to handle complex
information and problem solving, and that they are more achievement-
oriented than externals (locus of control). In addition, people with a high
internal locus of control are more likely than externals to try to influence
others, and thus more likely to assume or seek leadership opportunities.
People with a high external locus of control typically prefer to have
structured, directed work situations. They are better able than internals to
handle work that requires compliance and conformity, but they are generally
not as effective in situations that require initiative, creativity, and
independent action (Daft, 2008, p. 103).

Pathgoal theory suggests that for subordinates with an internal locus of

control participative leadership is most satisfying because it allows them to
feel in charge of their work and to be an integral part of decision making. For
subordinates with an external locus of control, pathgoal theory suggests
that directive leadership is best because it parallels subordinates feelings
that outside forces control their circumstances (Northouse, 2013, p. 141).

The Importance Of Locus Of Control

Meta-analyses (the synthesis of multiple studies into a single study by
summarizing the practical significance of each research finding into one
combined effect) of 357 research studies showed that an internal locus of
control was associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and job
performance (Colquitt, LePine, & Wesson, 2015, p. 287) and that people
with an internal locus of control enjoyed better health, including higher self-
reported mental well-being, fewer self-reported physical symptoms (Colquitt
et al., 2015, p. 287).

Takeaway Message: Having an internal locus of control can go a very long

way in differentiating between effective and ineffective leaders, managers,
and employees.