The Three Stages of Self-Efficacy
The Three Stages of Self-Efficacy
Externalizing, striving, acting with self-efficacy: everyday statements reveal where an organization stands.
“Sure, it's hard work, but it pays off.”
“If there's a way, we'll find it.”
“I'm at my desk until 8pm every evening.”
“I make sure the place doesn't blow up.”
“Fine, I'll do it, but I'm not guaranteeing anything.”
“The goal was unrealistic from the start.”
“Nobody told me that was my job.”
“I'd lead if the strategy were clearer.”
“We pay too little to retain people.”
Every person always operates on one of the stages. Only on the top stage do the results add up. Resignation leads to no results. Striving leads to unsatisfying results. Effective leadership creates the framework that lets employees climb the stages toward self-efficacious action. The Leadership Model provides this framework.
The stage model is inspired by Christopher Avery's Responsibility Process. Stajkovic & Luthans confirm a high correlation between engagement and self-efficacy in a meta-analysis, as does Carter et al. in a longitudinal study. The Gallup Q12 meta-analysis provides the median comparison between the top and bottom quartile of teams.
What the stages cost
The impact of engagement on hard facts is measurable and clearly documented — for example, in the Gallup 2024 study.
Highly engaged teams generate significantly more.
Those who can act effectively are absent less often.
Self-efficacious teams keep their people.
The Leadnow Academy
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