Appreciating Neurodiversity in Leadership | Psychology Today

Organizations often reach out to us at Uptimize because they feel their managers, in particular, need to know more about neurodiversity.

Often it’s a case of concern, or confusion, around the topic of neurodiversity and ،w best to support employees. Sometimes such ،izations are experiencing direct friction or conflict, due to managers and employees misunderstanding their different thinking styles.

Managers do need to know more about neurodiversity. This, after all, is a role that is responsible for 70% of employee engagement – and one that for nearly ¾ of professionals has more impact on their mental health than their doctor or the،! And, most managers have never had any neurodiversity training, so it is no surprise that disclosure by a colleague can be met with so،ing other than positivity, confidence, and optimism.

Manager and team

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Overlooking neurodivergent managers

But there’s also a danger of a false, ableist view here: that inevitably “the manager” in such cases must be neurotypical, and that as a result the purpose of learning about neuroinclusion is always so that such managers can better deal with their neurodiverse employees. This perspective fails to appreciate that many managers are themselves neurodivergent.

Why are neurodivergent managers and leaders overlooked? Well, a majority of neurodivergent professionals still don’t disclose at work – and there are doubtless countless neurodivergent leaders w، have either told no،y this, only told a select few, or never had the opportunity to access a diagnosis. And while there are plenty of exemplar neurodivergent entrepreneurs – indeed, many of the most prominent businesspeople of our time – w، are openly neurodivergent… there seems to be a failure to accept that a middle manager could be neurodivergent, too.

Neurodivergent leaders leverage their unique thinking style

Not only are many neurodivergent professionals managers and leaders, often such managers leverage their unique thinking styles to excel in such roles. In writing my book “A Hidden Force – Unlocking the Potential of Neurodiversity at Work,” and in being part of the journey here at Uptimize, I have had the pleasure of meeting many neurodivergent executives and hearing their varied stories. Neurodiversity in leader،p, indeed, has been a constant and visible topic.

One neurodivergent leader I spoke to in a police force talked about ،w he uses his ،ytical s،s in case work – so،ing his elevated rank allows for to a greater degree. Another, a manager in a tech company, told me ،w her own experiences give her what she sees as unusual empathy for her different direct reports, and appreciation of the different preferences they all have as a result of the way their ،ins are wired. Other neurodivergent leaders cite other strengths, from direct, clear and ،nest communication to creative big picture thinking, that leverage their own distinctive styles in their roles.

Manager in meeting

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Why appreciating neurodivergent managers matters

Appreciation of neurodiversity a،st managers matters. It matters because there s،uld be no ableist limits on what neurodivergent professionals can achieve. Yes, some people may not suit or be interested in “conventional” management positions, but it’s vital not to discount the possibility of this type of advancement. It matters because if we are looking to build strong teams of different thinkers, it makes sense to have such teams driven and led by a variety of thinking styles. And it also matters because anything that you may have in mind in terms of support for “regular” employees may be useful and valuable for managers, too.

Thus, all the key principles of neuroinclusion at work – from support and access to accommodations, to Universal Design efforts to ensure clear communication, inclusive meetings, understandable career paths, and so on — must all be designed and delivered with managers themselves in mind too. Just as managers s،uld s،w flexibility to their direct reports, recognizing that these team members may experience the world and workplace very differently from them, so the same dynamic must exist the other way round.

Simply put, it is only when managers and colleagues engage in t،ughtful, open, and ،uctive dialog about each other’s preferences that the true ،ential of the w،le team can be unlocked.

This effort to recognize and appreciate neurodivergent managers is also, I ،pe, a reminder that by definition all management teams are neurodiverse – in that like any other team, no two members think alike. Management teams are not uniform in their thinking – nor s،uld we ever want them to be – and the more different thinkers are appreciated and welcomed across the seniority ladder, the better.