Neurodiverse Leaders and the Power of One on One Conversation

Neurodiverse Leaders and the Power of One on One Conversation

Welcome to The Neurodiversity Coach Newsletter. As an Executive Coach, Leadership Trainer and self-professed geek, I've had the opportunity to work with neurodiverse leaders and coach them through leadership and workplace challenges. Each week I share resources and insights for neurodiverse leaders. 

In this issue we address coaching Neurodiverse leaders.....

_______________________________________________________

Neurodiverse Leaders and the Power of One on One Conversation

“If you meet one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” Dr. Stephen Shore

This quote calls attention to the unique-ness of each and every person. How individuals show up is as varied as the humans who we have the privilege of interacting with. We could just as easily substitute the word “neurodiverse” and the quote is just as valid. 

Take a look at the above photo and look at all the different words that fall under the Neurodiverse umbrella. Each year, more and more attention is being given to the challenges that neurodiverse people face in the workplace. Last week I watched a TEDx Talk called Neurodiversity and Leadership. In that talk, the speaker addresses some core challenges for neurodiverse employees like unemployment and effectiveness at their everyday jobs. I was fascinated and set up a call with the speaker of the TEDx Talk, Tom Edwards of Temple. What a pleasure it was to talk to him. 

We both agreed that although there is a long way to go, the focus on Neurodiverse Employees (NDEs) is growing and there is a lot of research and solutions being offered. There are in fact organizations like SAP, JP Morgan, Microsoft, and others who have senior leaders addressing how to be more inclusive and even create a competitive advantage by hiring NDEs. 

We also both agreed that there is very little focus on Neurodiverse Leaders (NDLs). The Peter Principle is real and many highly effective technical individuals are promoted to leadership and in some organizations the promotions continue long after their leadership skills would have dictated. Also, in an entrepreneurial world, many people who have great ideas and are able to develop and sell products end up leading companies without ever honing traditional leadership skills. 

This is why my focus is on Neurodiverse Leaders. Over the last fifteen years, I have had the chance to coach hundreds of engineering leaders at some of the largest tech companies in the world. Not an insignificant minority of them display ND traits. In my experience, these leaders are more than willing to grow their leadership skills and I’m also convinced that coaching is one of the most effective ways for them to see their blind spots and practice the things that will help them grow. 

There simply is no one-size-fits-all approach for people—and certainly not for the neurodiverse.

________________________________________________________________

Neurodiverse Leadership Resource Library

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

Jan 26: Nerds (and Geeks) are Leaders Too!

Feb 2: People are More Difficult than Algorithms

Feb 9: Your Straight Talk is NOT Authentic Leadership

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

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

_______________________________________________________

Staying In Touch

What leadership challenges are you facing? I’d love to hear from you - feel free to set up a time to chat here: Let's talk!

Make sure you never miss an issue! Click the "subscribe" button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. For more articles and insights, connect with me here.