Identifying Locus of Control

The concept of Internal Locus of Control, created by Julian Rotter, has proven to be a valuable input in assessing executive candidates across our search practice.

The framework distinguishes executives who have a strong conviction that they manifest their own outcomes and “make their own luck” from those who believe they are subject to fate, outside forces, and the actions of others.

What’s remarkable is how consistently this orientation predicts leadership performance.

Leaders with a strong internal locus of control take ownership of their professional trajectory, personal relationships, and overall life outcomes. This encompasses acceptance of both favorable and adverse consequences as products of their own choices and actions.

The most effective leaders we’ve placed share a common trait: they collect ownership of outcomes, even when circumstances are genuinely difficult.

Conversely, leaders without this strong internal orientation often become trapped in cycles of explanation rather than execution. They spend valuable energy attributing setbacks to external forces instead of channeling that focus toward actionable solutions—a pattern that ultimately limits both their effectiveness and their organization’s potential.