Why Some People Feel Less in Control Despite Having More Information Than Ever
Photo by Sivani Bandaru on Unsplash
We live in an age of unprecedented access to information.
A few clicks can give us market insights, leadership frameworks, industry reports, learning resources, and expert opinions from around the world. Yet, despite this abundance of knowledge, many professionals report feeling increasingly uncertain about their careers, their future, and their ability to influence outcomes.
The paradox is striking. We know more than ever before, yet many of us feel less in control.
The reason may be that control does not emerge from information alone. It emerges from our ability to understand, interpret, and act upon what we know. In many ways, our experience of control is deeply connected to our capacity for knowing.
Before we can influence our circumstances, we need to understand them. And that is where the concept of a Locus of Knowing becomes important.
Understanding the Locus of Control
The concept of Locus of Control, introduced by psychologist Julian Rotter, describes the extent to which people believe they can influence the events and outcomes in their lives.
People with a stronger internal locus of control tend to believe that their actions matter. They see themselves as active participants in shaping their future. They believe they can learn, adapt, and respond effectively to challenges.
People with a stronger external locus of control often feel that outcomes are determined primarily by circumstances, luck, organizational politics, market forces, or the decisions of others.
Neither perspective exists in isolation. Most people operate somewhere between the two. However, research consistently shows that individuals who maintain a healthy internal locus of control often demonstrate greater resilience, stronger learning orientation, higher job satisfaction, and better psychological well-being.
But an important question remains:
What influences whether we experience a sense of control in the first place?
The Missing Link: Locus of Knowing
Before we decide whether we can influence a situation, we first decide whether we understand it. Our perception of control is often built upon our perception of knowledge.
When we understand what is happening around us, why it is happening, and what choices are available, we are more likely to feel capable of responding effectively.
When we do not understand the situation, uncertainty grows.
And when uncertainty grows, our sense of agency often shrinks.
This is what can be described as our Locus of Knowing—the degree to which we feel we understand ourselves, our environment, and the possibilities available to us.
The less we understand, the more powerless we often feel.
The more clearly we understand, the more capable we become of taking meaningful action.
Why Uncertainty Feels So Threatening
Human beings are naturally driven to seek meaning, predictability, and coherence.
When events do not make sense, our minds often interpret ambiguity as a threat. We begin filling gaps in understanding with assumptions, fears, or imagined scenarios.
In professional environments, uncertainty frequently triggers three common responses:
Anxiety – worrying about outcomes we cannot predict.
Avoidance – delaying decisions or withdrawing from challenging situations.
Over-control – attempting to manage every detail in order to reduce uncertainty.
While understandable, these responses rarely increase effectiveness. In fact, they often consume the very energy needed for learning, adaptation, and problem-solving.
The issue is not uncertainty itself.
The issue is our relationship with uncertainty.
The Workplace Has Changed Faster Than Our Mental Models
For decades, many professionals built careers around expertise.
Master a domain. Gain experience. Become the subject matter expert. Progress steadily.
Today, that model is under pressure.
Technology evolves rapidly. Business models shift. Industries transform. Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how work gets done across nearly every function.
As a result, many professionals are quietly asking themselves questions they may never voice publicly:
Will my skills remain relevant?
Am I falling behind?
What if the expertise that built my career is no longer enough?
How do I continue creating value in a world that keeps changing?
These questions are not simply about work.
They are questions about identity.
When Knowing Shrinks, Control Shrinks
Imagine a professional who has spent fifteen years developing expertise in a particular process, technology, or way of working and then the landscape changes. Our identity starts shifting.
Automation handles tasks that once required deep experience. AI performs activities that previously depended on specialized knowledge. New skills become more valuable than established ones. What often follows is not merely operational disruption.
It is a disruption of understanding. The mental maps that once guided decision-making begin to lose accuracy.
What worked before no longer works as reliably. What felt predictable becomes uncertain.
As the individual’s locus of knowing contracts, their sense of control often contracts alongside it.
This can appear as resistance to change, cynicism, micromanagement, withdrawal from learning opportunities, or defensive behaviour.
The challenge is rarely a lack of intelligence or capability. More often, the challenge is that yesterday’s understanding no longer explains today’s reality.
Relevance Has Become the New Security
For previous generations, security was often associated with stability. Today, security increasingly comes from adaptability.
The professionals who thrive are not necessarily those who possess the most knowledge. They are often those who are most willing to update their knowledge.
They remain curious. They question assumptions. They learn continuously. They experiment. They fail. They adapt. Their confidence does not come from certainty.
It comes from trust in their ability to learn.
In a rapidly changing environment, relevance is less about what you already know and more about your willingness to keep expanding what you know.
The Danger of the Illusion of Knowing
One of the greatest barriers to growth is not ignorance. It is the belief that we already understand enough.
Psychologists refer to this as the illusion of explanatory depth—our tendency to believe we understand systems, processes, and situations far more deeply than we actually do.
This illusion creates blind spots. When we assume we already have the answer, curiosity disappears.
Questions stop. Learning slows. Adaptation becomes more difficult.
The danger is not being unaware. The danger is being unaware of what we do not know.
Humility, therefore, becomes a strategic advantage. Not because it diminishes confidence, but because it keeps learning alive.
Leadership in an Era of Constant Change
Traditional leadership often rewarded certainty.
Today’s leadership environment rewards adaptability. The most effective leaders are not necessarily those with all the answers.
- They are those who can remain thoughtful and composed when answers are incomplete.
- They demonstrate intellectual humility.
- They stay curious.
- They are ready to listen and seek diverse perspectives.
- They reflect before reacting.
- They create space for learning rather than pretending to possess certainty.
One of the most powerful leadership statements today may simply be: “I don’t know yet, but I’m willing to learn.”
Far from weakening credibility, this mindset often strengthens it. People trust leaders who are honest about uncertainty while remaining committed to finding a path forward.
Why Coaching Matters
When people feel uncertain, their first instinct is often to gather more information. Sometimes information helps but sometimes it causes more anxiety and uncertainty.
But often the real challenge is not a lack of information. It is a lack of clarity. Clarity emerges through reflection.
It develops when individuals examine their assumptions, challenge old narratives, explore blind spots, and reconnect with what matters most.This is where coaching can be transformative.
A coach does not provide answers. A coach creates the conditions for deeper awareness.
Through thoughtful inquiry, coaching helps individuals expand their understanding of themselves, their circumstances, and the choices available to them.
As awareness expands, the locus of knowing expands.
And as the locus of knowing expands, people often experience a renewed sense of agency.
They move from: “I don’t know what to do.” to “I can see several possibilities.”
That shift may appear small, but it fundamentally changes how people engage with challenges, opportunities, and change.
Questions for Reflection
Consider taking a few moments to reflect on the following questions:
- What assumptions about my future may no longer be true?
- Which skills am I relying on most heavily today?
- What new capabilities might become important in the next few years?
- What am I resisting learning?
- Where do I need greater clarity rather than greater certainty?
- How would I approach my current challenge if I trusted my ability to learn and adapt?
The answers may reveal areas where your own locus of knowing is ready to expand.
A Final Thought
The future is unlikely to become more predictable.
- Technology will continue to evolve.
- Industries will continue to transform.
- Roles will continue to change.
- The goal is not to eliminate uncertainty. The goal is to strengthen our capacity to navigate it.
Real control does not come from knowing everything. It comes from understanding enough to take the next meaningful step, while remaining open to learning what comes next.
Because ultimately, our sense of control is rarely determined by certainty.It is shaped by our willingness to keep learning, questioning, adapting, and expanding our understanding.
Your locus of control is often only as strong as your locus of knowing.
About the Author
As an Executive Coach and AI Leadership Professional, I work with leaders and professionals navigating career transitions, leadership challenges, and the evolving realities of an AI-driven workplace.
My coaching approach combines reflective inquiry, leadership development, and practical insight to help individuals strengthen self-leadership, expand awareness, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
If this article resonates with you, I invite you to start a conversation about what becomes possible when clarity replaces confusion and learning becomes your greatest source of confidence.
