What ADHD Brought to My Leadership

I led teams in corporate America with ADHD, OCD and dyslexia.

Some of my best leadership didn't happen in spite of how I'm wired. It came from it.

It's ADHD Awareness Month, so here are 4 things my wiring brought to the leadership table:

1. Pattern recognition. Connecting dots before anyone had lined them up.

2. "Why do we do it this way?" I rarely accepted process for process's sake, and that question led to real improvements.

3. Systems. Many of the systems that made me effective exist because I needed them.

4. Purpose. My brain wants to know why something matters, so I made sure my teams knew too.

None of this makes ADHD easy. There are real difficulties and real frustrations. Both things are true.

If you're a leader with ADHD and you've only been taught to see the deficits, let me validate the other half: your wiring has value, and the right environment lets it show.

Try this week:

• Write down three times your wiring helped your team. Keep the list somewhere you'll see it.

• Name one strength out loud in your next one-on-one, yours or theirs.

• Ask your team, "What problem is this process solving?" and listen to the answers.

Leaders with ADHD, what has your wiring brought to your team?

If this sounds like you, Book 5 was written for you. Links are in the first comment.