Learned Helplessness at Work: What Leaders Can Do
Reclaim agency, boost morale, and help your team thrive again.
Posted June 13, 2025 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer Ph.D.
" Learned helplessness " is a psychological concept introduced by Martin E. Seligman and Steven F. Maier in 1967. It describes a condition in which individuals, after repeated failed attempts to change their circumstances, come to believe that they are powerless, leading them to stop trying altogether, even when change becomes possible.
A powerful illustration of this idea is drawn from old traveling circuses. As the story goes, a baby elephant would have a rope tied around its ankle, anchored to a stake in the ground to keep it from straying. Too weak to pull the stake free, the young elephant eventually learns that resistance is futile. As the elephant grows, it becomes strong enough to easily rip the stake from the ground—but it no longer tries. The belief that escape is impossible has been internalized. The elephant remains tethered not by the rope, but by a mindset formed through earlier experiences of failure.
In humans, this learned helplessness can manifest when someone repeatedly encounters obstacles despite their best efforts. Over time, they may begin to feel that no amount of effort will make a difference. Even when new opportunities arise or circumstances change, they may no longer attempt to improve their situation—believing instead that their fate is fixed and their efforts are pointless.
How Does Learned Helplessness Impact Individuals in the Workplace?
A loss of agency—feeling that someone lacks control over their environment or that they lack the ability to make decisions and act independently— hinders performance and hurts the overall workplace culture .
If you find yourself in a leadership role with a team that has a history of feeling disempowered and disengaged, here’s what you can do to build agency and restore balance:
Individual-Level Agency Builders
Team-Level Agency Builders
Organizational-Level Agency Builders
Learned helplessness doesn’t develop overnight—it’s the result of repeated failed attempts at change. But if you walk into a team that has internalized this mindset, your leadership isn’t futile. Just as helplessness is learned, it can be unlearned. Leaders play a critical role in that process: by creating environments that foster autonomy, encouraging diverse ideas and perspectives, and empowering teams through shared decision-making and distributed leadership. The more that employees feel their contributions matter, the more engaged, innovative, and resilient they become.
American Psychological Association. (2012, March 13). Control over work-life key to well-being . https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/03/well-being
Foster, M. (2024, March 14). 5 small gestures to make your employees feel appreciated . Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/5-small-gestures-to-make-your-employees-feel-appreciated/457609
Johannsen, R., & Zak, P. J. (2020). Autonomy raises productivity: An experiment measuring neurophysiology. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 963 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00963
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Ashley C. Jordan, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.