What is High Agency?

Josh
Josh

We’ve all heard the fear spiral by now:

“AI is going to take all the jobs.”
“There won’t be anything left for our kids to do.”
“College degrees won’t mean anything in five years.”

But let’s be honest—most of the real damage won’t come from AI replacing people.

It’ll come from people forgetting how to work.

From raising a generation that avoids challenge, waits for perfect clarity, and assumes someone—or something—else will figure it out for them.

That’s why high agency matters more now than ever.

And it’s why this post from Elias Torres, CEO of Agency is so important. It cuts right to the heart of the problem.

So… What Is High Agency?

High agency is the opposite of learned helplessness.

It’s the mindset that says:
“I might not have all the resources, but I’m resourceful.”
“I don’t know how—yet—but I’ll figure it out.”
“If something’s not working, I’ll find a way to fix it—or build something better.”

High agency people don’t wait for ideal conditions.
They start. They adapt. They move. They own.

They don’t look for loopholes. They look for levers.

This isn’t about grinding nonstop or worshiping productivity.
It’s about ownership.
About taking action without perfect instructions.
About caring enough to get your hands dirty.

Why It Matters for Students Today

Because the world isn’t going to give your kid a perfectly ordered path anymore. That game is over.

We are entering a world where:

  • The most useful knowledge isn’t taught in school.

  • AI can answer questions, but it can’t build curiosity.

  • Strategy matters more than subject mastery.

  • The ones who move fastest aren’t the smartest—they’re the most internally driven.

If your kid doesn’t learn how to take initiative, they’ll always wait.

Wait for someone to give them a plan.
Wait for the “right” career to appear.
Wait for a tool to do the work for them.

And by the time they realize no one’s coming to save them, someone with high agency will already have built what they were waiting for.

High Agency Is a Skillset—And It Can Be Taught

Here’s the good news: high agency isn’t a personality trait. It’s a practice. It can be developed.

But not by giving students more rules to follow or boxes to check.

They need to:

  • Make real decisions with real consequences

  • Experiment, reflect, iterate

  • Learn how to start things before they feel “ready”

  • Fail small and often—then get sharper

  • See what’s possible when they move without permission

This is what high-agency coaching is all about. And it’s what’s missing from most classrooms, college advising offices, and resume-building workshops.

Final Thought

AI isn’t the enemy. Complacency is.

And the future won’t be won by the students with the best grades.
It will be led by the ones who know how to do the work—especially when things get messy, unclear, or hard.

That’s what I want for my own child.
Not just intelligence. Not just polish.

I want them to be the kind of person who moves.
Who acts before they’re certain.
Who figures things out and finishes what they start.

Because high agency doesn’t just create opportunities.
It makes your kid unstoppable when everyone else is stuck.