Neurodiverse people can bring a host of amazing strengths to leadership roles, such as creativity, innovation, information processing and focus. A recent survey showed that companies with an inclusive, neurodiverse culture report huge benefits, including significantly higher net revenue and 30% higher profit margins. Overall, teams with a diverse make-up outperform homogenous teams by 36%, according to research by McKinsey.
More than a third (35%) of organisations surveyed by City and Guilds Foundation have a senior leader who identifies as neurodiverse. In reality, however, the share of leaders with some sort of neurodiversity is likely much higher. Some of the most famous business leaders in the world, including Richard Branson, Charles Schwab and Bill Gates, are neurodiverse.
But neurodiverse leaders often must work to overcome unique challenges in the workplace. Not only must they navigate the business landscape but they also must navigate their own brains. They’re constantly figuring out how to operate in a world that’s designed for a different type of brain. As someone with ADHD, I’ve experienced this first-hand.
Here are some tips to help neurodiverse leaders thrive in a complex business environment.
Don’t be afraid to delegate
As a leader, you need to be honest about the aspects of your role you excel at, as well as the ones you struggle with. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Delegating the hard bits, or the bits that don’t align with your strengths, is crucial, otherwise you’ll burn out in your efforts to force a square peg into a round hole.
This might sound obvious but I’ve witnessed too many neurodiverse leaders try to do it all themselves and end up burning out and quitting because they get overwhelmed. It’s not unusual for neurodiverse people to feel uneasy about handing over responsibilities – whether it comes from an insecurity or a desire to prove you can do everything without help – but this can quickly lead to burnout, anxiety and low productivity.
Handing over responsibility is extremely liberating. It’s OK not to be perfect at everything and it’s OK to admit you need help. No one has ever run a successful company entirely on their own.
Create systems that work for you
Create and implement whatever systems you need to make your leadership role work. For example, as someone with ADHD, I’ve always thrived when things are fun (or as fun as they can be). So I’ve put systems in place that enable me to connect with my inner desire for games. I hate the phrase ‘key performance indicators’, for example; it’s too formal and sucks all the joy out of me. But ‘key present initiators’ works much better for me, so that’s what I work towards. I allocate a score to certain activities, such as two points for reading an email and 10 points for calling a client, and reward myself when I reach 100 points.
Know your energy levels will fluctuate
What was easy yesterday might feel impossible tomorrow. For example, you might have been emotionally regulated this morning, but then maybe someone says something to you that triggers a rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) flare-up. Suddenly, you can’t write that email you were planning to send or you can’t make that call you had in the diary, so you need to reschedule it, which triggers further anxiety because now you feel like you’ve let someone down.
Being aware of the fluctuations in your mood and adjusting accordingly is critical. It’s common for neurodiverse leaders to overwork, stay up late into the night and push themselves to the limit. You’ve probably spent your whole life feeling that you’re not good enough, so it’s no surprise that you feel like you have something to prove. Be aware of the early signs of burnout; this will enable you to take crucial steps to alter your path and take the rest that you need.
Avoid the unnecessary
The energy of a neurodiverse leader is precious and must be protected at all costs. There will always be plenty of people and tasks that hunger for your attention. When presented with a new request, question or opportunity, if your response isn’t a “hell yes”, it should probably be a “no”. Learn to trust your gut and have confidence in your ability to manage your time and energy.
Know your triggers
It’s important for neurodiverse people to be aware of situations in which they might struggle. For example, I’m not good at doing several things at the same time – it paralyses me and leads to ‘task overload’. When I approach a task, I look at it from afar and then break it up into manageable bits. This makes it less overwhelming, but it also enables me to assign a separate deadline to each part. I also look at each separate part and decide whether it’s a task that I should do or if it’s something I should delegate.
Make sure you understand your own struggles and work out the systems you need to overcome them. As always, never be afraid to ask for help, and remember that your way of thinking is amazing and so are you.
Alex Partridge is the founder of the digital publishing brands LadBible and Unilad, and host of the ADHD Chatter podcast.
Neurodiverse people can bring a host of amazing strengths to leadership roles, such as creativity, innovation, information processing and focus. A recent survey showed that companies with an inclusive, neurodiverse culture report huge benefits, including significantly higher net revenue and 30% higher profit margins. Overall, teams with a diverse make-up outperform homogenous teams by 36%, according to research by McKinsey.
More than a third (35%) of organisations surveyed by City and Guilds Foundation have a senior leader who identifies as neurodiverse. In reality, however, the share of leaders with some sort of neurodiversity is likely much higher. Some of the most famous business leaders in the world, including Richard Branson, Charles Schwab and Bill Gates, are neurodiverse.
But neurodiverse leaders often must work to overcome unique challenges in the workplace. Not only must they navigate the business landscape but they also must navigate their own brains. They’re constantly figuring out how to operate in a world that’s designed for a different type of brain. As someone with ADHD, I've experienced this first-hand.
