Normalizing from the top down, not bottom-up

For neurodivergent employees to feel safe, we must bring neurodivergent leaders out from the shadows.

Here’s an example of why leadership representation matters. A C-suite leader noticed a new hire’s behaviors were “different.” The new hire seemed to rub people the wrong way and said he didn’t do well with interpersonal interaction. Nevertheless, the employee was pressured to go to a trade show, where he performed poorly in customer interactions. As a result, the leader decided to let him go.

Our basic diversity training programs don’t go far enough in increasing awareness and inclusion of neurodiverse employees. Many programs are bottom-up approaches, asking those marginalized to speak up and their direct reports to react effectively. When we explore the top-down approach, neurodivergent employees see in some ways an advocate who will help expand the tolerance for employees who move outside of the norms. That small bit of grace helps reduce the job insecurity that comes with disclosures. It helps neurodivergent people see greater psychological safety at work.

In my roundtables, I hear often that a leader being vulnerable is what tips the hat for others to open up. Normalizing neurodiversity needs to be from the top down, not bottom-up. We need more than just positive role models; we need champions who create safe spaces to fail, and also safe spaces to explore and gain clarity on the norms.

In our example above, the bottoms-up approach would put the onus on the employee. We could also put the onus on the system through more traditional questions like:

1. What might have happened if the leader had a better understanding of neurodivergence?

2. What if an HR diversity committee had identified this as an educational opportunity for leadership?

The top-down approach would say:

1. We have a problem. Who can speak authentically and rebuild trust in our organization?

2. What areas about our norms could be more clear enough in our onboarding?

Do we have neurodivergent leaders?

Probably.

The odds are that your company has neurodivergent leaders too. Numbers vary, but many consultants in the space say that 1 in 7 in the workplace are neurodivergent. In looking at studies with children in primary schools, it’s possible that 1 in 2 in the general population are neurodivergent.

We can also look to past and present figures to deepen our acceptance of neurodivergent leadership:

• OCD: Winston Churchill, Nikola Tesla, Harry Heinz, David Beckham, Charlize Theron

• ADHD: Bill Gates, Richard Branson, John T. Chambers, Simone Biles

• ASD: Greta Thunberg, Bram Cohen, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Beth Davis

• Dyslexia: Steven Spielberg, Orlando Bloom, Whoopi Goldberg, Anderson Cooper

We need leadership examples to showcase possibilities. A leader within your organization who shows vulnerability about their own experience can help others open up.

Next Steps:

• Find someone on your executive team who can speak up about their experience (ideally someone with a diagnosed divergence and not just a caretaker)

• Can a neurodivergent leader in your organization be in an employee resource group (ERG) or advocate for better representation?