What Is High Agency?

High Agency is the difference between people who wait and people who make things happen.

It’s not about talent, resources, or luck. It’s about how you respond when someone says: “That can’t be done.”

High Agency people ask: “How can I make this happen?”
Low Agency people say: “I tried, but they said no.”

The Wright brothers exemplified this perfectly. When The New York Times declared humans wouldn’t fly for a million years, two bicycle makers taught themselves aerodynamics, built their own wind tunnel, and were flying four years later.

No degrees. No funding. No permission. Just relentless problem-solving.

The Science Behind Agency

High Agency isn’t just motivational speak—it’s grounded in decades of psychological research.

Self-Efficacy Research: Albert Bandura’s landmark work shows that believing you can affect outcomes is foundational to motivation and performance.[^1] Nine large-scale meta-analyses confirm that self-efficacy beliefs significantly predict workplace motivation and performance.[^2] People with high self-efficacy view challenges as problems to master, not threats to avoid.[^3]

Growth Mindset: Carol Dweck’s research demonstrates that people who believe abilities can be developed (growth mindset) outperform those who view abilities as fixed.[^4] Students taught they could “grow their brains” showed marked academic improvement,[^5] and in workplace studies, growth mindset cultures show higher innovation and employee engagement.[^6]

Related Concepts: High Agency overlaps with what psychologists call “proactivity” (acting in advance rather than reacting), “grit” (perseverance toward long-term goals), and “perceived control” (believing you can achieve desired outcomes).[^7]

The research is clear: Agency is both measurable and developable.

_{Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash}

Why This Matters Now

Traditional skills are table stakes. Agency is the differentiator.

Two people with identical technical skills deliver radically different results. The one with High Agency:

• Creates opportunities others don’t see
• Navigates obstacles that stop peers
• Delivers despite imperfect conditions
• Generates 10x impact with the same resources

In a world of rapid change and ambiguous problems, the ability to figure things out without explicit instructions is the most valuable skill you can have.

Continue reading →