Breaking Free From Learned Helplessness at Work

In every organization, we want people to feel capable, motivated, and resilient. Yet many leaders notice something troubling: team members sometimes hold back, avoid challenges, stop contributing ideas, burn out, or even leave.

Personally, I’ve experienced every single one of these in my own career, and also encounter these situations every day in my work with global leaders as a coach and trainer. This often traces back to a well-studied psychological phenomenon called learned helplessness. Understanding it—and recognizing that it’s something we all experience at times—can make a world of difference in how we support global teams.

What Is Learned Helplessness?

The concept was first discovered by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven Maier in the 1960s. In their research, animals exposed to painful electric shocks eventually stopped trying to escape—even when later escape became possible. They had “learned” they were helpless.

Humans are no different. When we face repeated setbacks or feel that nothing we do changes the outcome, we may stop trying. Importantly, this isn’t about weakness or lack of skill—it’s a very normal coping response to challenging experiences.

In fact, we all experience some form of learned helplessness at different points in life—whether it’s giving up on learning a new language, going back to unhealthy habits after a diet or new exercise regimen challenges us, settling in a relationship or career that isn’t aligned with our values, or becoming a yes man going through the motions at work. The workplace is no exception.

How It Shows Up in the Workplace

• In learning & development: An employee who struggles with a new skill might conclude, “I’m just not good at this,” and withdraw, even though with the right support they could succeed.

• In team meetings: Someone whose contributions were overlooked in the past might stay quiet, believing their input won’t be valued—even when the environment has changed.

• In change initiatives: Global employees facing repeated reorganizations may feel powerless, thinking, “Decisions are made elsewhere; there’s nothing I can do.”

Left unaddressed, learned helplessness undermines performance, innovation, and wellbeing—exactly the areas global organizations need most.

How Leaders and HR Can Help

The good news: learned helplessness isn’t permanent. Leaders and HR managers can help individuals and teams rebuild a sense of agency and confidence. A few strategies include:

1. Rebuild a Sense of Control

Encourage small wins. When employees achieve manageable goals, they re-learn that their efforts lead to results.

2. Reframe the Story

Support people in shifting from “Nothing I do matters” to “This approach didn’t work, but other options might.” Coaching and constructive feedback are key here.

3. Model and Encourage

Highlight examples of team members who tried a new approach and succeeded. Recognition goes a long way in showing others what’s possible.

4. Foster a Growth Mindset

Celebrate progress and effort—not just outcomes. This reinforces the idea that skills can be developed and challenges can be overcome.

5. Reduce Stress, Build Resilience and Emotional Intelligence

In global organizations where change is constant, stress and overwhelm can fuel feelings of helplessness. Providing tools for mindfulness, stress management, support in reprioritizing workloads, and resilience helps employees maintain wellbeing and stay engaged. Providing opportunities to understand and build Emotional Intelligence is also key to create a culture of adaptability and empathy for teams that stay strong in the face of change.

Why It Matters for Global Teams

In multicultural, cross-border organizations, employees may face added complexity—language barriers, different time zones, physical distance from colleagues, hierarchical differences, or cultural expectations. Without thoughtful leadership, these challenges can amplify feelings of helplessness.

When leaders and HR managers invest in building agency, resilience, and psychological safety, they unlock creativity, collaboration, and performance across borders.

Final Thought

Learned helplessness is not a fixed trait—it’s a universal human experience. The key is not to eliminate it (because at some point, we all fall to it), but to recognize it and help people move through it.

As a global leader, every time you acknowledge effort, create space for voices to be heard, or celebrate small steps forward, you’re not just supporting performance—you’re helping your people re-learn hope, confidence, and possibility.

• How has learned helplessness shown up in your life and career recently?

• What’s a habit you can start now to reclaim your agency?