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 how best to support employees. Sometimes such organizations 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 therapist! And, most managers have never had any neurodiversity training, so it is no surprise that disclosure by a colleague can be met with something other than positivity, confidence, and optimism.
Manager and team
Source: RDNE / Pexels
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 who have either told nobody 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 – who 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 leadership, indeed, has been a constant and visible topic.
One neurodivergent leader I spoke to in a police force talked about how he uses his analytical skills in case work – something his elevated rank allows for to a greater degree. Another, a manager in a tech company, told me how 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 brains are wired. Other neurodivergent leaders cite other strengths, from direct, clear and honest communication to creative big picture thinking, that leverage their own distinctive styles in their roles.
Manager in meeting
Source: Cottonbro / Pexels
Why appreciating neurodivergent managers matters
Appreciation of neurodiversity amongst managers matters. It matters because there should 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 should show 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 thoughtful, open, and productive dialog about each other’s preferences that the true potential of the whole team can be unlocked.
This effort to recognize and appreciate neurodivergent managers is also, I hope, 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 should we ever want them to be – and the more different thinkers are appreciated and welcomed across the seniority ladder, the better.
