The Most Valuable Skill for Founders: Embracing High Agency
Did you know that while intelligence and knowledge are crucial, it is often the confidence—the so-called "agency"—that truly determines success? In a results-driven world, founders with high agency act decisively on ideas instead of being passive observers.
From Intelligence to Agency
Intelligence provides the map; agency fuels the journey. Imagine two people stranded on an island: Person A reads survival guides, understands rescue signals, and waits patiently for help. Person B has less theoretical knowledge but uses palm fronds and logs to build a raft and paddles toward civilization. Both are intelligent, but only one acts on their ideas. For founders, this translates to turning market research into prototypes, drafts into press releases, and strategies into execution. Agency bridges the gap between ambition and outcomes, enabling entrepreneurs to transform vision into tangible success. George Mack captured this distinction memorably when he said, “high agency is what separates those who achieve results from those who merely dream about them.” [verify]
The Turning [__] into Reality Model
Traditional to-do lists clear short-term tasks but often fall short of aligning daily actions with long-term vision. George Mack’s “Turning [__] into Reality” exercise reframes productivity as value-driven creativity:
- Identify a Core Value: Choose a principle you want to embody (e.g., creativity, health, connection).
- Brainstorm Actionable Ideas: List 10 ways to express this value, no matter how unconventional.
- Take Micro-Actions Daily: Select the smallest possible step and implement it immediately.
For instance, if health is your value, rather than “gym at 6 a.m.,” you might experiment with walking meetings, fruit smoothies during conference calls, or quick desk stretches. When George aspired to a personal brand focused on “high agency,” one brainstormed idea was to own highagency.com. He monitored its expiration, outmaneuvered competing bidders (including a cannabis marketing firm), and secured it at minimal cost. This domain acquisition exemplifies how value-driven creativity trumps rote checklists.
Claiming Your Space and Creative Problem-Solving
High-agency founders don’t just build products; they engineer opportunities. After securing highagency.com, George Mack pivoted to promotion. Rejecting standard social media blasts, he cold-emailed billboard brokers, negotiated free favors, and literally took over Times Square with a “High Agency” billboard on launch day. This audacious display wasn’t vanity—it was a calculated tactic to spark conversations and validate the concept at scale. Similar stories abound in entrepreneurship: biotech startups renting ski-resort billboards to recruit PhDs, or fintech founders leveraging niche podcasts to test pricing models. Each example demonstrates that when you treat your attention, focus, and resources as an army, you can deploy them strategically to conquer new territory.
Social Influence and Cultural Contrasts
Your network is a mirror for your mindset. Spend time with action-oriented individuals, and you’ll absorb their problem-solving instincts. A simple test: “Who would you call if you were stuck in a third-world jail?” The answer reveals who you trust to act under pressure. Surrounding yourself with high-agency peers amplifies your own drive and risk tolerance.
Cultural context also shapes agency. In George’s words:
“When a Brit has twice the intelligence or knowledge, the American has 10x the agency or confidence and as a result they achieve five times more.”
This “Ted Lasso” effect reflects a brighter, can-do ethos in American entrepreneurship, compared to the more reserved British cultural script. Interestingly, top British and American universities rank similarly on intellect, but U.S. institutions produce roughly five times the entrepreneurial output—suggesting that confidence and execution matter as much as raw intelligence. [verify]
High Agency in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence and large-language models have supercharged agency by automating or accelerating routine tasks. George Mack built what he calls the “Kale algorithm” to curtail YouTube recommendations under 30 minutes, banishing clickbait and reclaiming hours of focus. Founders now harness ChatGPT as a 24/7 thought partner—feeding it personal finances, project roadmaps, and market data so they can ask pointed questions like “How should I respond to this investor email?” This combination of human initiative and AI leverage creates a force multiplier for agency: rapid idea testing, code generation on demand, and tailored productivity scripts.
On the flip side, high-agency entrepreneurs stay vigilant not to become slaves to algorithms. Conduct a digital audit: review your browsing history, identify patterns that waste time, and programmatically block or reroute distractions. In the AI era, agency means mastering both your tools and your own attention.
Leveraging Language for a Mindset Shift
The words we choose shape our reality. Replace “I should” with “I choose” to transform obligations into empowered decisions. This small linguistic tweak fosters ownership:
• “I should write that blog post” → “I choose to invest 30 minutes in my audience.”
• “I should rehab my knee” → “I choose to rejuvenate my strength and mobility.”
Language is a high-agency lever. When George’s trainer referred to rehab as “recharge” or “renew,” it reframed the work as growth rather than repair. Other tactics include “speed-barrier” experiments—consciously shattering self-imposed time limits to accelerate project milestones. By narrating your goals in active language (“I will” vs. “I hope”), you rewrite the script of possibility.
Conclusion: Cultivating Your High Agency Mindset
High agency is the ultimate differentiator for founders, unlocking creativity, momentum, and resilience. It thrives in value-driven exercises, bold territory claims, supportive networks, and intentional language.
Actionable Takeaway:
Next week, choose one long-standing goal, write it as “I choose to…,” brainstorm five high-agency steps, and take the first micro-action today.
How has a high-agency mindset changed your entrepreneurial journey? Share your story and inspire others to act.