There are those who believe they are where they are in life, both professionally and personally, because of self-control and that almost nothing is a product of chance or fate. On the flip side, there are those who believe that outside influences determine their fate. No matter what they do or don't do, they end up where they are as a result of these extraneous forces. The science world has given this type of analysis a name: locus of control.

Locus of control refers to the extent to which individuals believe that they can or cannot control events that affect them. Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that events result primarily from their own behavior and actions. Those with an external locus of control believe that other people, fate or chance primarily determine events in their lives. Most people fall somewhere in the middle, believing it's a combination of our efforts and outside circumstances that effect the outcomes of events in our lives.

Understanding the principles of this theory can help answer “What happened?” when looking for a promotion or “What's their problem?” when dealing with subordinates.

Control characteristics

Right now, you are probably categorizing yourself and members of your department as either having a strong external or internal locus factor. We are all familiar with the hardworking, Type-A personality who always seems to be overachieving and advancing above and beyond everyone else. Some research has held that individuals with a strong internal locus of control tend to be more intelligent and success-oriented than “externals.”

Internal individuals often are found in key leadership and decision-making positions in fire departments, but they're arguably flawed in that they have a tendency to see things only in black and white and do not allow emotion or feelings to play a part in their thought processes.

Some research suggests that what underlines the internal locus of control is a concept called “self as agent,” where thoughts control actions. This executive function of thinking can positively affect beliefs, motivations and academic performance. It's up to the individual to act and use this inner mechanism for personal control. In other words, someone chooses to direct thoughts and energies toward accomplishment and not toward anxieties and feelings of inadequacy.

In contrast, how many times have you heard, “What's meant to be, will be.” Some people believe that just by being, they will be rewarded by fate, that destiny will prevail. We once had a captain who truly believed that every time an appointed position became available, he was going to be selected. His résumé had little to no experience for the positions he applied for, and he could give no additional background information during the interview process that would lead the panel to recommend him to the fire chief for selection. He had essentially done nothing to prepare himself for the tasks of the positions and just expected fate to intervene and hand him the job.

When the selections were made, he would always be furious that he wasn't named. He refused to see what was so obvious to everyone else — that he had no experience, relative education or training to successfully do the job — and blamed everyone else for his rejection. This is a classic example of a very strong external locus of control.

These external locus — minded individuals are the ones who often say, “It wasn't my fault,” followed by a lot of finger-pointing. Statistically speaking, those waiting for something to “just happen” will still be waiting the day they retire and will blame everyone and everything else for their unfavorable situation instead of looking internally, where the real problem most often lies. However, there's something to be said for believing there is some force, be it fate, faith or destiny, that when combined with ability, produces miraculous results.

Those who feel they are truly destined for greatness oftentimes work harder to produce what to them are foregone conclusions. The U.S. Olympic Hockey Team does the impossible and defeats the unbeatable Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics, producing the “Miracle on Ice;” Joe Namath delivers on his guarantee of a victory in Super Bowl III, as the Jets upset the heavily favored Colts; and most recently, 26-year-old PGA rookie Ben Curtis, playing in his first major golf tournament and ranked 396, holds off Tiger Woods and four of the world's top six players to capture the 2003 British Open.

Were these successes a product of destiny or hard work? Chances are, hard work put these people into a position where they could achieve greatness, which was their destiny. That is the key. In any profession you want to be in a position to achieve your full potential, and there's no one better to get you there than you.

Influence and contrast

Firefighters with an internal locus of control are inclined to take responsibility for their actions, are not easily influenced by the opinions of others, and tend to do better at tasks when they can work at their own pace. Conversely, those with an external locus of control tend to blame outside circumstances for their mistakes and credit their success to luck rather than their own efforts. When someone gives an opinion or takes a position on a particular subject, externals are more readily influenced by these opinions, and they are more likely to pay attention to the opinion holder than the content of the opinion, regardless of who holds it. Internals are just the opposite and will evaluate the opinion based on its own merits and their position on the subject, regardless of who the presenter is.

One of the most influential parts of career advancement and achievement is education. In training situations, firefighters with an external locus of control often believe that it's the instructor's sole responsibility to teach them and that they have no personal responsibility to learn. If they perform badly in a testing situation, the blame is leveled on the instructor or the fact that the test was too hard. These firefighters often are the ones who struggle with confidence problems, particularly because one's sense of self-worth grows through achievement, and achievement comes through effort.

By comparison, firefighters with an internal locus of control who perform badly in a testing situation will tend to blame their own lack of ability or preparation for the test.

Most firefighters need help in taking control of their internal locus. Generally, new firefighters are placed at a fire station where they are the youngest members and more often meant to be seen, not heard. This can last several years until the firefighter is transferred or promoted. This can hinder a firefighter's internal development and play more favorably to the external. While this may not seem like a bad situation, the external forces in the station can have a negative and damaging impact on a firefighter's self-esteem and confidence.

If the internal locus of a new firefighter is strong enough to overcome negative external influences, he or she usually will be able to handle similar situations with confidence. However, if a firefighter is somewhere in the middle or leaning more toward an external locus of control, he or she can fall like a tree to these negative outside influences. This can lead to problems with authority and career fulfillment.

It's imperative that chief officers identify both young firefighters and stations that possess these tendencies and keep them from lengthy interaction. These firefighters should be managed in a positive setting that will build their self-confidence and an internal locus of control until such time that their development is strong enough to filter negative external influences.

Negative consequences

We have spent a considerable amount of time discussing the positive consequences of possessing an internal locus of control, but let's lake a look at the downside of having too much of a good thing. An excessively strong internal locus of control can cause you to be so driven that you end up missing the enjoyment of life. In the work place, people fitting this profile need constant rewards and excitement and bore easily and quickly.

By setting expectations too high, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Those who have chosen the fire service as a career are faced with high-stress situations on a daily basis. From the firefighter and company officer battling a house fire to the fire chief dealing with personnel issues, stress seems to be an inherent issue with this line of work. Having an overactive internal locus of control that compels one to always succeed, strive for perfection and view failure as not being an option, can lead to job burnout at some point. In extreme cases, studies have shown that this type of internal desire also can lead to physical and psychological problems.

For those with an overwhelming internal locus drive, the temporary and short-term results can be extraordinary. However, the long-term prognosis is poor. If the mind or body isn't supplemented with a good mix of external influences and some Type-B personality characteristics, like enjoying some relaxing and low-stress activities, one or both eventually will say “enough” and shut down. Managing you internal drive while maintaining at least some involvement in non-work — related activities will produce better long-term results and sustained success.

Whichever locus of control, internal or external or somewhere in the middle, that you find in yourself, supervisors or subordinates, the most important thing is to recognize what is driving you and those around you. Once you're able to identify this, you can use it to your advantage in managing your affairs, personnel, and the decision-making process.

Realize that there is more than one thought process. Individuals can be both motivated to produce greater results using their internal locus of control and can become more aware of their external locus of control by listening and allowing some of those outside influences to effect their lives in a positive way.

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Brian A. Crawford is an assistant chief within the administrative division of the Shreveport Fire Department and currently serves as the assistant to the fire chief. He is a 19-year department veteran serving previously as a firefighter/paramedic, EMS officer, training officer and PIO. A member of the IAFC Human Relations Committee, Crawford is also a National Fire Academy resident instructor in the Management Science Division and is currently a second-year participant in the NFA Executive Fire Officer Program. He holds a master of arts in industrial/organizational psychology from Louisiana Tech University, a bachelor of science in organizational management, and an associate degree in paramedic. He can be reached at 318-673-6652 or brian.crawford@ci.shreveport.la.us.

Find Your Control Locus

Julian Rotter devised a locus of control personality test in 1966 to assess the extent to which an individual possesses internal- or external-reinforcement beliefs.

The following test was based off of that principle but tailored to be more fire service — oriented. Answering for yourself, mark each statement with a true or false response. There are no right or wrong answers. This survey will give you a general idea of where you stand on the locus of control personality dimension.

1. I usually get the promotion or position that I want.
2. It is important to keep informed of department happenings.
3. It is hard for me to tell if I am doing a good job.
4. I believe that everything that happens is fate or destiny.
5. I believe that some luck is required in gaining true success.
6. If criticized by coworkers, I tend to get frustrated and give up.
7. I believe that extenuating circumstances are responsible for my current situation.
8. I believe that individuals should take responsibility for their actions.
9. Life is a gamble.
10. Life is what you make it.
11. I deserve a promotion because I have put in my time.
12. I have control of my life.
13. Others control my life.
14. My success is a product of hard work and dedication.
15. I believe that one can manage time.
16. There is a certain degree of luck and chance in being able to decrease line-of-duty deaths.
17. Being selected for fire chief is pure luck.
18. Achievement comes through effort.
19. I take responsibility for failures that I cannot control.
20. My actions have a direct bearing on my life.

Scoring

Give yourself one point if you answered true to questions 1, 2, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19 and 20. Give yourself one point for each false answer to questions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16 and 17.

0-3 Very strong external locus of control

4-7 External locus of control

8-12 Both external and internal locus of control

13-16 Internal locus of control

17-20 Very strong internal locus of control