“What do you think, Rick?”
Those four words used to make my stomach drop.
As a leader, I wanted my teams to have real dialogue—open debate, shared ownership of solutions. But my ADHD brain would sometimes drift when the conversation wandered outside my interest. Then came the moment—my name, the question. What do you think? And the last thing I wanted was to admit I’d lost the thread of their good thinking. I’d scramble to cover, embarrassed, ashamed, hoping no one noticed.
If you have ADHD, you may know that moment all too well. Studies suggest that 15–20% of people are neurodivergent, and a quarter of those live with ADHD. That means millions of us—professionals, managers, executives—are in the workforce every day navigating stress in systems not designed for how our brains work.
And here’s the real challenge: If you have ADHD, you probably already know you have some superpowers—big-picture thinking, creativity, hyperfocus, problem-solving under pressure—all qualities highly desirable in executives. The harder question is:
- How do you harness those strengths without being derailed by the challenges?
- How do you mitigate the short attention span without killing your authenticity?
- How do you own your wiring in ways that empower your team, instead of apologizing for it?
Those are the kinds of questions I wish I’d had help asking earlier in my career. Because authentically owning your wiring can be empowering for you AND your team.
After years in senior executive roles—from startups to billion-dollar firms—I realized what I most wanted was to help people like me ask and answer those questions for themselves. That’s why I pursued coaching: to support other leaders in turning stress into strength and empowerment.
If you’re an executive with ADHD, you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through your career. Find a coach you trust. You can learn to reduce the stress, own your wiring, and lead with the superpowers you already have.