Locus of Control
Locus of control is the degree to which you believe outcomes in your life are shaped by your own actions, an internal locus, or by outside forces such as luck, other people or the system, an external locus. Psychologist Julian Rotter introduced the concept in 1966. For leaders, it influences how you respond to setbacks, how you take ownership and how you talk about results.
Julian Rotter developed locus of control from social learning theory
Rotter's 1966 monograph described locus of control as a generalised expectancy: a broad belief, built from experience, about whether your behaviour leads to rewards. He measured it with his internal-external scale, and he saw it as a continuum rather than two types of people. The APA Dictionary of Psychology gives a short definition.
Most people sit somewhere in the middle, and the same person can feel very internal about their own work and very external about organisational politics.
Internal and external locus of control lead to different leadership habits
| More internal | More external | |
|---|---|---|
| After a missed target | "What could I have done differently?" | "The market turned against us." |
| Facing a new system | Looks for what can be influenced | Waits for others to decide |
| Explaining results to the team | Links outcomes to choices | Links outcomes to circumstances |
| Under pressure | Risks over-responsibility | Risks passivity |
A hypothetical example: two managers and one restructure
Imagine two managers at an insurance company in the Gulf told that their departments will merge. One spends the month complaining that head office never consults anyone. The other asks for a meeting with the integration lead, proposes how the combined team could work and volunteers to run the first joint workshop.
Neither controls the decision to merge. The second manager simply focused on the part she could influence, and she ends up shaping the new structure. The guide on how to lead through uncertainty explores this further.
The common misreading: more internal is not always better
Popular writing often treats an internal locus as the goal. Taken too far, it becomes self-blame, overwork and a refusal to see real constraints. A leader who believes everything is in their control will burn energy on things that are not.
In hierarchical organisations, where respect for seniority means many decisions sit above you, a partly external view can simply be accurate. The useful question is not "internal or external?" but "where exactly do I have influence here?" That is the work of mindset coaching for leaders: separating what is yours to change from what is not.
Rula Husseini is an Executive Leadership & Mindset Coach (ICF PCC) based in Manama, Bahrain, with 26+ years in leadership, HR and talent development and 4,500+ coaching hours. She coaches executives, emerging leaders and teams in Arabic and English, in person and online.
Credentials and training →Frequently asked questions
Can locus of control change?
Yes. It is a learned belief, so experience shifts it. Leaders who repeatedly see their actions make a difference, even in small ways, tend to develop a more balanced sense of control.
Is locus of control the same as self-efficacy?
No. Locus of control is about whether actions affect outcomes at all. Self-efficacy is your belief that you can carry out those actions. You can believe effort matters and still doubt you can deliver it.
Related
Mindset Coaching for Leaders
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy meaning and how to build it: Albert Bandura's four sources of belief in your ability, with practical steps for leaders and an example.
How to Lead Through Uncertainty
How to lead through uncertainty when you don't have the answers: what to tell your team, how often, what to decide anyway and how to steady yourself first.
Growth Mindset
Growth mindset meaning for leaders: Carol Dweck's idea, how it shows up in feedback and setbacks, and the common misreadings that make it a slogan.
How to Bounce Back From a Career Setback
How to bounce back from a career setback such as a missed promotion, a lost role or a failed project: what to do in the first days, first month and beyond.
Every transformation starts with one conversation.
Your first 1:1 Discovery Call is free. Thirty minutes, no pressure — just an honest look at where you are and where you could go.