Neurodivergent Leadership and Climate Transition (Part 1): From Deficit to Difference
This is part 1/3 of a mini-series on the role of neurodivergent leadership in climate.
Having worked with quite a few neurodivergent leaders in my leadership coaching practice, I decided to train in ADHD coaching earlier this year and learn more about neurodivergence at work more broadly. As part of this newsletter, I'm dedicating the next 3 articles to how neurodivergence interact with leadership, and the role it has in climate work.
This first week, I want to delve into how the understanding of ADHD has changed in recent years, and why this is an important development for ADHD professionals and leaders.
(A note on language: this article is largely aligned with neruo-affirming, and identity-first language, i.e. a person who is ADHD/an ADHDer, rather than a person who has ADHD. You can read more about this here.)
What is neurodivergence and what’s new?
While the concept of ADHD has been known, defined, and updated throughout history, the term (ADD) was first included in official diagnosis in 1980, with adult ADHD first recognised by the NHS in 2008. [1] Alongside this, in the last couple of decades we've also seen a shift away from the medical model of neurodiversity (seeing neurodivergent traits as deficits and disorders from what is considered ‘normal’) to the social model (seeing neurodivergent traits as natural variation in nervous system and cognitive processing styles). This new neurodiversity paradigm puts ADHD in the context of the whole person - their interests, preferences and strengths, rather than only through the lens of their ‘deficits’. It frames common challenges ADHDers experience as more of a mismatch between the person and their environment rather than solely the responsibility of the individual. For example, instead of labelling the person as lacking attention, it considers if, and how the environment is interfering with their ability to focus. This framing expands the solutions to common ADHD challenges beyond changes that sit with the neurodivergent person (e.g. medication, productivity tools, noise-cancelling headphones etc), to changes to their environment (e.g. flexible working, quiet rooms, or changes to the person’s responsibilities at work). [2] [3]
How does this framework help ADHDers lead at work?
This reframe itself often offers a significant shift in the way ADHDers see themselves, many of which have felt a lot of inadequacy and shame relating to their ADHD traits all their lives. When as a society we only talk about ADHD as deficits, ADHDers develop a heightened awareness of when their ADHD traits are at odds with other people's preferences and expectations, and lose sight of other strengths, capabilities and achievements they do have.
In the workplace, a positive self-view plays a key role in one's attitude towards learning and development, relationship building, and attitudes towards challenges and setbacks, all of which are foundational career and leadership development. Many ADHD leaders I've worked with tend to overestimate the qualifications, capabilities, experience and day-to-day effectiveness of other leaders, and feel like an impostor despite having excellent performance reviews and are sought after externally. Developing a fair perspectives of their own strengths and unique skillsets help them engage in leadership behaviours, such as signing up for speaking engagements, applying for promotions and going for board positions.
Secondly, an ADHD informed and affirmative attitude shifts the focus away from hiding and fixing ADHD, to more productive areas such as finding alternative and creative ways of achieving the same (or better) results. Workplace norms and processes are usually designed by and for the majority, and in most offices this means neurotypical preferences. Instead of finding strategies to fit into these boxes, often, an ADHDer might benefit from trying to find a way around it. For example, instead of working on their 'organisation skills' to stay on top of deal opportunities, they may lean more on uncovering early opportunities through building and maintaining their network, something they enjoy doing much more than going through lists of upcoming tenders.
Lastly, when an ADHD leader is more accepting and supportive of their own divergent traits, they help create a more welcoming and empowering environment for their team to bring their full selves to work. As leaders, we need to role model important qualities we want to see in our employees, such as taking initiatives and solving problems creatively, asking for what we need at work before looking elsewhere, showing others that leaders are not perfect people and are on their own growth path. It is often when people have someone at the top they can relate to, they start to feel more motivated to move towards the same path.
Interestingly, I often observe as ADHDers move into leadership roles, they find it easier to deliver results because they are afforded more trust and flexibility to get things done in their own way. They are also often given support that looks like the accommodations ADHDers need (such as having a PA to manage administrative tasks, access to a quiet private office, or having the role and responsibility designed around the person) without them being labeled that.
Final thoughts
It is estimated that 15% of the UK population are neurodivergent, and that number is higher among entrepreneurs and professionals in creative industries [4]. To deliver climate targets in the scale and timeframe demanded, we particularly need people who are creative problem solvers and are good at connecting the dots across sectors. These are exactly the common strengths that many neurodivergent people possess, that may not have been encouraged or valued in workplaces until more recently. It is with ADHD leaders and aspiring leaders seeing, and valuing their own contribution, we start to change the narrative around neurodivergence more broadly.
In next week's article, I will explore ADHD strengths in more details, as well as the reality of navigating leadership as an ADHDer.
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