7 Ways ADHD Leadership Training Powers a Thriving Workplace Culture
It only takes a quick scroll through social media to notice that Neurodivergency and ADHD have become total buzzwords in recent years.
(The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimates that 3–4% of adults - almost 2 million people - in the UK have ADHD.)
Whilst this is an incredible thing for raising awareness and extinguishing stigma.
And it may have even helped you, or a member of your team, become aware of your own ADHD traits…
Management teams still have a lot of work ahead - to create an inclusive workplace culture that encourages everyone to thrive, regardless of how their brain works.
As team leaders, we have a huge knock-on effect when we choose to support ourselves and our teams with the most up-to-date knowledge and strategies.
‘Doing the work’ has a positive influence on company culture, productivity, stress management, and makes managing neurodiverse teams easier - just to name a few advantages!
And, in a society where employees can work for practically any company in the world, it’s never been more important for leadership teams to be at the top of their game.
As an ADHD coach, I’m sharing with you the 7 ways that ADHD Leadership Training unlocks untapped potential in your business and powers a thriving culture that retains and attracts talent.
We Cover:
Inspiring radical self awareness
Dispelling harmful ADHD myths in the workplace
Creating psychological safety for ADHD employees
Prioritising clear and direct communication for ADHDers
Creating genuinely supportive ADHD accommodations
Maximising both remote and in-office productivity for ADHDers
Supporting ADHD employees navigating stress
1. Inspiring radical self awareness
As with any newly identified trait or habit, self awareness is the first step.
From a manager's point of view, ADHD Leadership training gives you the space to dive deeper into common strengths and challenges experienced by those with ADHD.
This is done in a neutral environment where it’s safe to ask ‘stupid questions’ (there are none!) and reaffirm or expand on what you already know.
And from an employee perspective, the knock-on effect is that you can inspire radical self awareness and responsibility in your team members who identify with having ADHD.
This is especially useful with employees who tend to focus on the ways their ADHD hinders their work, and aren’t as proactive in utilising the strengths it gives them.
Helping team members identify, build, and regularly use their strengths, can be a total game changer for their confidence, sense of autonomy, and their ability to communicate when they need support.
2. Dispelling harmful ADHD myths in the workplace
There are common myths around employees with ADHD that put both the business and the individual at a disadvantage.
5 common ADHD myths:
People with ADHD are inherently lazy
ADHD gives people boundless energy
People with ADHD are disruptive
Employees with ADHD are difficult to manage
Employees with ADHD cannot be managed at all
Whilst the myths around laziness and disruption are obviously negative, even the ‘positive’ myths - like ADHD gives people boundless energy - can be misinterpreted and mismanaged.
And myths often absolve management’s responsibility to support employees because they’re seen as immoveable inconveniences, rather than challenges that can be overcome with a little thought and small but significant actions.
When myths are busted, that’s when a leadership team can really support employees in navigating their own personal ADHD experience and get the best out of the team.
Ultimately these myths arise from a lack of awareness around how people with ADHD experience the world.
And developing this deeper awareness, as mentioned above, is exactly what leadership training is for!
3. Creating psychological safety for ADHD employees
A thriving culture cannot exist without creating psychological safety for employees. And it brings huge benefits:
84% of employees value psychological safety over pay (Oyster HR, 2023)
Employees who feel safe are more likely to be highly engaged and supportive of colleagues (Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2023)
60% of employees with low psychological safety feel burned out, leading to an increased likelihood of quitting their job (meQuilibrium, 2022)
Psychological safety means ensuring that all team members feel secure in expressing their thoughts, feelings and personality (within the usual etiquette of a modern professional environment, of course).
This doesn’t mean employees have carte blanche to do and say whatever they want.
In the case of an employee with ADHD, this means feeling secure in the knowledge that disclosing their neurodivergence will not lead to derogatory comments, exclusion, or lesser pay. And that whilst they work for you, their challenges will be taken seriously, enabling them to get back on track as soon as possible, if they do have any issues.
Leadership training that encourages a culture where individuality is celebrated and supported will always be advantageous to the business as a whole.
4. Prioritising clear and direct communication for ADHDers
A common challenge that often gets between leadership teams and neurodivergent staff is a mismatch of communication styles. This is because of the tendency to ‘take things literally’ - which is often not accommodated as well as it should be.
As a coach, I always emphasise that if you are giving or receiving instruction as an ADHDer, there is no room for ambiguity.
The need for absolute clarity applies to all communications, for example:
Arranging meetings and ‘quick chats’: Letting ADHDers know exactly what will be discussed in the meeting and that there’s nothing to worry about, so they don’t jump to ‘worst case scenario’.
Requesting information, setting tasks and implementing feedback: Providing a summary of what actually needs doing is essential.
For example, ‘you still need to fill this form in’ becomes:
‘The third and final section of this form requires longer answers, please expand on these sections to complete it and confirm over email, by 5pm tomorrow’.
Asking for further clarification can be a source of friction for ADHD colleagues, as it’s often perceived as difficult, argumentative or ‘questioning authority’ if not approached with the awareness gleaned from leadership training.
Overall, practicing ultra-clear communication benefits everyone in a workplace, not just those with ADHD.
Leaving people to ‘read between the lines’ in any situation contributes to anxiety, causes procrastination, and puts unnecessary mental load on the receiver to ‘fill the gaps’.
5. Creating genuinely supportive ADHD accommodations
In ADHD Leadership workshops, genuinely supportive accommodations are always an important part of managing a neurodiverse team.
They should be implemented with care; acknowledging that every individual is going to experience their ADHD differently and require unique support.
Here are three great examples of accommodations that I’ve come across:
Reminding staff of break times, regardless of workload: ADHDers have a tendency to hyperfocus, ignoring their bodily functions like needing to use the toilet, drink water, or have a snack. Left unchecked, this eventually leads to burnout.
Noise cancelling headphones: Due to ADHDers being more prone to distractions, noise-cancelling headphones can help to cut out the noise of an office environment.
Desk position in the office: An ADHDer whose desk is right next to the kitchen or breakout areas may struggle with the distraction of people always walking past and different sounds coming from nearby.
Other accommodations might include using adaptive software or implementing flexible work times and locations (hybrid working).
The key is to create a culture where flexibility and support is prioritised to reduce stress and create a positive ripple effect on productivity and engagement.
(And I think it’s always worth clarifying that having an inclusive workplace where ADHD staff are not openly discriminated against isn’t an accommodation.
Accommodations are active additions to support individuals, often created by talking to the employee themselves and mutually deciding on the best action plan.
6. Maximising both remote and in-office productivity for ADHDers
As an ADHD Coach, I personally believe that a hybrid approach is the most beneficial for businesses to implement.
This strikes the balance between the advantages and challenges of both in-office and at-home work environments - for all employees, not just those with ADHD.
The challenges of working from home with ADHD:
Overworking due to a lack of physical cues to start work, finish work, and take breaks
Decreased physical engagement and connection with colleagues
Unique at-home distractions (like parcel deliveries) that interrupt flow and motivation
The benefits of working from home with ADHD:
No commuting stress
No office-based distractions to interrupt flow e.g. people walking around, informal conversations, loud noises
Working from home can provide a much-needed ‘energy recharge’ because social interactions and expectations are removed
As you can see, there are just as many pros and cons for working from home vs the office.
Leadership training encourages your business to help employees balance what works best for their wellbeing and productivity.
7. Supporting ADHD employees navigating stress
The thread that ties all of the above ways that ADHD Leadership Training powers a thriving workplace culture is reducing stress.
Whilst stress is experienced by all of us at some point, for ADHDers it can be truly paralyzing.
This is because, under stress, our bodies create a cocktail of chemicals such as cortisol and noradrenaline.
And, if you have ADHD, this chemical cocktail is often quicker to take over; affecting the part of our brain that is responsible for ‘project management’ - also known as executive function.
This means that all the brain functions essential for workplace activities (decision making, emotional regulation, working memory, planning and attention) are de-prioritised.
And this in itself creates more stress, exacerbating the problem.
Being able to recognise stress in ADHD employees, and knowing how to help them to navigate their way out of the downward spiral, can be a pivotal change in your management strategy.
It not only gives you a higher level of empathy and compassion, but it also adds to long-term productivity and development of your team.
Ready to create a thriving culture and ADHD-friendly leadership?
If cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive is your goal…
You have to learn more about The Brilliance Effect®!
This is my unique, trademarked methodology that allows you to understand and manage ADHD in life, work, and beyond.
As part of ADHD Leadership Training, we use ‘The Brilliance Effect® at Work’ to equip your team with a deep understanding of ADHD, its strengths, and the challenges individuals may face.
All sessions are tailored to your business for maximum positive impact. Get in touch to explore support for team members, leaders and directors!
<<Book a free connection call to explore training options>>
Meta title: 7 Ways ADHD Leadership Training Powers a Thriving Workplace Culture
Meta Description: Discover how ADHD leadership training can enhance workplace culture, boost employee well-being, and drive productivity. 6-minute read.
