Trapped in a Crisis? Be the High-Agency Hero
People with high agency feel a sense of control over their lives: they can decide what they want or need, and then take action to help them achieve their goals. People with low agency often feel things outside their control — such as luck or fate — are shaping their lives.
Michael Bond
It was supposed to be your dream vacation in an exotic, unspoiled paradise.
Instead, you’re trapped in a real-life nightmare: locked in a grimy cell in a country with no constitutional protections.
You regret every lawyer joke you’ve ever told.
Surprisingly, you’ve been granted a single phone call.
Who are you going to call?
This little scenario helps you identify a person in your life who has high agency — someone who takes charge and gets things done.
But what about you? Are you a person with high agency?
Here are four key distinctions to help you find out.
Fear vs. Adventure
Low-agency individuals are often paralyzed by fear. They fixate on everything that could go wrong and let those worries halt their progress.
High-agency individuals are fueled by adventure. When obstacles arise, they see them as opportunities — not setbacks. A mishap isn’t a failure; it’s the start of a story about how they triumphed.
Want vs. Decide
Low-agency people want a different future, but they see that future as out of reach — dependent upon some external factor like luck or circumstance.
High-agency people decide what they want their future to be and do what needs to happen for that future to become real. They don’t wait for permission or perfect conditions — they act.
I can’t vs. I am
Low-agency people dwell on limitations, saying, “I can’t do that.”
The first step toward high agency is to recognize potential: “I could do that.” Unfortunately, many get stuck here.
True high-agency individuals go further, embracing a mindset of growth: “I am becoming…” They focus on progress, not perfection.
Planning vs. Experimenting
Low-agency people pour energy into crafting detailed plans but rarely act on them, trapped in analysis paralysis.
High-agency people understand that plans are starting points, not scriptures etched on stone tablets. They adapt to changing realities and test their ideas through action, learning what works through experimentation.
Before traveling to an unfamiliar country, memorize the contact information of at least one high-agency person you can rely on in a crisis.
Better yet, strive to become that person — the one others call when they’re in trouble.
Out now on Amazon: The Courageous Heart: Wisdom for Difficult Times, an Eric Hoffer Award Finalist. Grab your copy today.
