More than Ever, Neurodivergent Leaders Need a Coach

I coach people every day—sometimes as many as six leaders in a day.

Most of the leaders I coach are in tech, science, or medical fields where there are a high percentage of neurodivergent individuals. So this week alone, I have coached 10 people who are ADHD, Dyslexic, or are on the Autism spectrum.

In reality, we aren’t talking about their neurodiversity—almost never. We are talking about their leadership—about their life—about how they can grow—about how they can make a difference at work or home. The truth is most of the people I coach have figured out how to be massively successful at life. They are working with a coach because their company believes in them or because they want something for themselves. Their company hires me or they hire me directly.

Coaching makes such a big difference for them because it is just for them.

Trainings, workshops, courses, books, and even TedTalks are great. They do a fantastic job of teaching people to be better leaders—to grow in their lives. The problem is that almost all of these resources are made for neurotypical people. There is some learning available but it’s not as powerful as when it’s accompanied by a coach. Some examples from this week:

• I was talking to a client who is dyslexic and we brainstormed an idea of going through a book together. His immediate reaction was that it seemed like a good idea but it would take him a while to do the reading. We discovered that the book is available as an audio book and decided to consume it that way. We didn’t get stopped.
• I was working with a client today around high performing teams. Because we were talking it through 1:1, he really got how he sometimes misses the emotional connection with his team members. We talked deeply about his true heart in the matter—and how he could try some different approaches. He’s going to practice them and we are going to talk about it next time.
• ADHD clients are more susceptible to depression and therefore sometimes display as unmotivated when they are really doing the best that they can. Pep talks and even group outings that may make a difference for a neurotypical individual can sometimes have the opposite effect. I met a personal client for an in-depth session this week at a National Park. This is something I want to do with all my personal clients but I think it has special power for ADHD clients. To be in nature—allows the overwhelm to calm and creates a space for learning and even joy.

Leadership—and we are all leaders—is about truly caring for others; giving them what they need when they need it. If this resonates with you, I encourage you to reach out to me and let’s have a conversation about how coaching might make a difference for you. It would be my joy to serve you.

With care, Ken.

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Past Articles: Neurodiverse Leadership Resource Library

Want more resources on neurodivergent leadership? We are finding and creating resources for you. Watch this section expand every week.

Aug 22: The Enneagram and My Leadership

Aug 9: Do You Really Want to Manage Up? Start here!

Aug 1: The Difference Between Good Leaders and Great Leaders is How Much They Care (About People)

July 25: Better Living Through Chemistry—Until There is a Shortage

July 19: Coming Alive is What We Are Meant to Do

July 12: What Is My Purpose? What Happens When High Performers Feel Defeated?

June 28: The Art of Really Listening…Doing a Listening Fast

June 20: "It's Everything"

June 13: Listening to Completion

June 6: Embodying Resilience and Grit

May 23: Taylor Swift Can Do It With a Broken Heart—So Can You!

May 16: Neurodivergent Executives (Like The Yeti but Real)

May 10: Focused and Distracted at the Same Time

May 3: All Brains Belong

April 25: No One Told Me I Couldn’t Do That!!! Expectations vs Agreements & Neurodivergent Leaders

April 19: I Can’t Deal with THIS Person

April 12 : Being Smarter is NOT the Answer

April 5: All Executive Coaching Eventually Becomes "Life Coaching"

Mar 28: The Best Leadership is Service

Mar 22: Neurodiversity Week

Mar 15: Without Empathy We're Without Leadership

Mar 8: You Aren't Who You Think (Or Feel) You Are

Mar 1: Thriving Uniquely vs Suffering in Silence: The Benefits of Confidential Self-Identification for Neurodivergent Leaders

Feb 23: Who Needs Productivity Anyway? Did You See That Squirrel?

Feb 12: Emerging from Shame: Illuminating the Path to Neurodivergent Leadership Brilliance

Feb 1: Always Do Your Best Doesn’t Mean Always Do THE Best

Jan 25: There is Nothing Wrong but Something Is Missing

Jan: 19 What’s a Vision Anyway? Why Can’t They Just Do Their Jobs?

Jan 12: A Day in the Life of a Neurodivergent Leader: Navigating Autistic Demand Avoidance at Work

Jan 5: Redefining Autism: The Power of Self-Identification

Dec 21: Why Am I So Anxious

Dec 14: Cultivating Brilliance in Neurodivergent Leaders

Dec 7: Conversations Matter

Dec 1: The Trouble With Geniuses

Nov 17: Science Lesson

Nov 10: Living from Logic in an Emotional World

Nov 3: Communicating with Precision and Simplicity

Oct 27: Creativity and Innovation

Oct 20: How Neurodiversity is Making a Positive and Innovative Impact

Oct 12: It’s Lonely at the Top—Especially for Neurodivergent Leaders

Oct 6: Simply Different?

Sept 29: ADHD: The Kryptonite of It and Its Superpowers

Sept 21: Nerds (and Geeks) Are Leaders Too!

Sept 14 : Blind Spots: You Can't See Yours

Sept 7: People are More Difficult Than Algorithms

Aug 31: ADHD Kids Become ADHD Adults—but Sometimes the Tools Stop Working

Aug 25: Are you Dumb Enough to Manage Up?

Aug 18: Understanding the Avoidant Employee

Aug 10: Your Leadership is Not Served by You Thinking You are Less Than

Aug 4: Leaders Don't Want to Be Victims

July 20: Are You Overcompensating?

July 13: Why We Need the Outdoors

July 6: It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature

June 29: EMOTIONAL BIDS: What Do We Do When Someone Reaches Out to Us Emotionally?

June 15: The Boxes We Put Ourselves In

June 8: Please Just Tell Me the Answer!

May 25: Dyslexia and Leadership

May 18: Autism and Leadership: Advantages and Challenges

May 11: ADHD and Leadership

May 4: Hi Elon, I'd Like to Be Your Executive Coach

Apr 27: Surprise! Your Motivators are NOT Their Motivators

Apr 14: Managing Up Success Story

Apr 6: The Power of Routine

Mar 30: The Nerd Ceiling and Digital Body Language

Mar 22: Neurodiversity Makes For Better Leaders (Sometimes)

Mar 16: He Only Cares About Himself

Mar 9: Neurodiverse Leaders and the Power of One on One Conversation

Mar 2: What if My Neurodiverse Boss Sucks with People?

Feb 23: Why Am I So Anxious?

Feb 16: The Trouble With Neurodiverse Leadership (Forbes Article)

Feb 9: Your Straight Talk is NOT Authentic Leadership

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