Neuroscience and Neurodiversity: Uncover Your Hidden Strengths

Einstein, an arguably brilliant mind, struggled with math. In fact, when a nine-year-old girl sent him a letter, telling him about her difficulties with math, he replied to her. “Don't worry about experiencing difficulties with math, I can assure you that my own problems are even more serious.” That may sound funny, but it's actually the truth. Einstein was a great physicist, but when it came to math, he always had to seek help from other scientists such as Marcel Grossmann or David Hilbert.?

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In fact, his most famous theories of general and special relativity theory are the product of his intuition surrounding physics, paired with some help and inspiration from other famous scientists who excelled in math. (As shared in: Carlo Rovelli: Reality Is Not What It Seems)

Neurodiversity Celebration Week– Playing by your strengths?

It's Neurodiversity Celebration Week , and I want to shine the light on neurodiversity and give you my idea on how your unique brain can actually be used to your advantage. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. And just as Einstein was playing by his strengths and compensating for his weaknesses (by collaborating with others who had the strengths in areas he lacked), I think we all should do the same. Whether you are neurodiverse or not – playing by your strengths is always a winning approach. Neurodiversity is an example of what can feel to some as extreme weaknesses, combined with extreme strengths.?

This is where thought diversity has its big moment.

Teams that include people with variations of neurodiversity and neurosignature diversity are going to be stronger than their counterparts because they are able to better support each other towards the common goal.? Being in a team where your personal strengths are highlighted and used to the best of their ability, while also having full confidence that your team is there to support you in the areas which do not come as easily to you, makes for a more cohesive and productive unit. In fact, there are some forward-thinking companies, such as EY and Goldman Sachs, who are already deliberately hiring people with neurodiversity because of their unique strengths . These companies understand that having members of their teams whose brains think “differently” than the norm is actually a real advantage overall.

The “superpower” myth

Could you imagine Gwen Stefani in an accountant role? Or Elon Musk as a copy editor?? Paris Hilton as a marketing manager or Richard Branson in the legal department?? Many famous and hugely successful people are neurodiverse. The corporate world is missing out on talents like theirs since there is a tendency to hire, promote, and train everyone according to some very narrowly defined standard criteria. If you are neurodiverse, chances are high that you will drop out or get fired - and take your talent with you.?

Many neurodiverse people don’t fit the corporate mold. That doesn’t mean that neurodiversity has to be seen as a “superpower”. In fact, I find it slightly insulting to frame it that way when in reality many neurodiverse people face real disadvantages - not just in the corporate world, but in their daily lives as well. We are wasting everyone’s potential when we force everyone to adapt and to fit in - instead hire for strengths and make sure to compensate for weaknesses. When we force everyone to fit in, what we get is mediocracy instead of excellence.?

Let’s embrace our differences.

A new take on diversity?

It’s all about finding the right position for the right people. I would like to challenge our view of neurodiversity because in the end, we are all “neurodiverse”. What I mean is - we all have different brains, and we should celebrate the diversity of different brains! A person who struggles with something that comes naturally to you doesn’t mean that they don’t excel in other areas (ones where you may struggle). I’d like to broaden our understanding of neurodiversity and to encourage people to also reflect on how different brains think.?

What’s the bottom line?

It’s simple: Hire, promote and train based on strengths. Compensate for the weaknesses of others by putting together a truly neurodiverse team.

Have you loved my Wall Street Journal bestselling book, The Brain-Friendly Workplace: Why Talented People Quit and How to Get Them to Stay ? Be sure to leave a review on Amazon to let me know. I read every single review and would love to see yours there.

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