The definitive case that agency – the ability to act boldly and freely to solve problems – is more important than intelligence, revealing how to cultivate a “high agency” mindset in life and business, based on the viral essay by entrepreneur George Mack.

HIGH AGENCY: The Most Valuable Skill in the World
by George Mack
Crown Currency, September 2027

When George Mack asked the internet a deceptively simple question, his essay sparked word-of-mouth sensation. The question: If you were stuck in a foreign jail cell and could only call one person you know for help, who would it be? That’s the highest-agency person you know—someone with the drive and resourcefulness to solve problems that most would consider impossible.

If the optimist sees the glass as half full, and the pessimist sees the glass as half empty, the high agency person sees themselves as a tap that fills up the glass. Expanding the idea into a full operating system, Mack argues that agency is the most important skill of the 21st century, eclipsing intelligence, and breaks down the traps that shrink people into a low agency mindset.

With its unique blend of playful yet instructive stories, from Christopher Nolan to the Wright Brothers, and practical tools like the high agency spectrum, this is a modern playbook for ambitious and daring entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals eager to get off autopilot and seize control of their lives.

George Mack is a British entrepreneur and writer known for turning psychological insights into ideas that spread. His work has gained a cult following, and he is the most frequent guest on the Modern Wisdom podcast, one of the top 10 podcasts in the world. His signature “high agency” question has been featured on both The Joe Rogan Experience and The Diary of a CEO. Mack has 500k followers across X, LinkedIn, Substack, and his newsletter. He lives in Austin, Texas.