There is a body of knowledge and a number of behavioral science studies about the relationship between agency or control, and cognitive function. In summary, creating environments with low feelings of agency or control at the individual level destroys cognitive function. I presented this quandary to Chat GPT and received a more concise summary than I could write so I’m posting the text: Chat GPT: “Psychology and neuroscience research suggests that low feelings of agency or control can have a significant impact on a person's cognitive function. When individuals feel like they do not have control over their environment or their lives, it can lead to a sense of helplessness and can negatively affect their ability to think, reason, and solve problems. One of the key ways in which low feelings of agency can impact cognitive function is by increasing stress levels. Chronic stress has been shown to impair cognitive function, particularly in the areas of attention, working memory, and executive function. Stress can also lead to anxiety and depression, which can further impair cognitive function. Low feelings of agency can also lead to a sense of learned helplessness. When individuals feel like they cannot control their environment, they may stop trying to take action to change their circumstances. This can lead to a lack of motivation and a decrease in cognitive function, particularly in tasks that require effortful engagement. Additionally, feeling like you have no control over your environment can lead to a sense of disconnection from your surroundings. This can negatively impact memory and attention, as well as impairing decision-making processes. In summary, low feelings of agency or control can have a significant impact on cognitive function, particularly in the areas of attention, working memory, executive function, and decision-making. It is important to develop strategies to increase feelings of agency and control, such as setting achievable goals and taking action to change your environment, in order to improve cognitive function and overall well-being.” When we do organization design and role design in corporations, how can we build working environments that increase feelings of agency and control for each person? Power attracts people with antisocial personality tendencies who seek control over others. As their stress level rises, their emotional need to control increases and feelings of agency and control for subordinates rapidly diminish. Subordinates then experience reductions in cognitive function and become deferential. This is one of the main ways leaders with antisocial tendencies destroy corporations (and countries). Given this, how can we democratize power through collective decision-making bodies, matrix work structures, flattening organizations, making internal information transparent, crowdsourcing solutions from experts as opposed to leaders, anonymous voting for key decisions, and incorporating elements of holacracy?