Harnessing ADHD for Authentic Leadership
In today’s fast-paced world, the conversation around leadership is evolving to embrace the full spectrum of neurodiversity. More organizations and families recognize that traits associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are not simply challenges to be managed but sources of unique perspective, creativity, and resilience. As we move beyond outdated notions of deficit and disorder, a new leadership paradigm is emerging – one that values authenticity, intentionality, and the power of personalized strategies. Within this broader movement, individual journeys offer insight into how embracing neurodiversity can transform not only personal growth but also the way we lead and support others. This blog does not imply that I am a clinician – I am not. However, I have ADHD, and a colleague and friend is struggling with a recent diagnosis. She has asked for my thoughts.
ADD or ADHD
ADD is an older term for what is now known as the inattentive type of ADHD. The term ADHD has been used to describe both inattentive and hyperactive types since the mid-1990s. However, some people continue to use the term ADD as a way to indicate that the condition does not include hyperactivity as a characteristic. The DSM-5-TR currently recognizes three subtypes of ADHD: inattentive type (sometimes casually called ADD), hyperactive-impulsive type, and combined type (Logsdon, 2025).
Embracing Neurodiversity: Beyond Deficit Thinking
For many leaders, ADHD isn’t just a diagnosis; it’s a lived experience that shapes how they think, create, and lead. Too often, conversations about ADHD in leadership are framed around dysfunction, challenges, and exasperating impacts. What if we reframed it through the lens of principled leadership instead? Principled leadership isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, integrity, courage, and service; qualities that transcend personality, wiring, or temperament. When leaders with ADHD anchor themselves in these principles, their natural strengths become accelerators rather than liabilities. Their challenges become manageable rather than defining. And their leadership becomes effective and deeply human. This is the shift from coping to leading with intention.
Practical Strategies for ADHD Leaders
ADHD brings unique strengths to leadership. Hyperfocus enables deep work and breakthrough innovation, while divergent thinking sparks creative solutions and visionary leadership. However, difficulty prioritizing can lead to scattered efforts and unfinished projects, and time blindness – a neurological difference in how time is perceived and managed – may cause missed deadlines or overlooked details. To address these challenges, ADHD leaders can externalize priorities with visual boards or written commitments, schedule regular check-ins to recalibrate focus, and anchor decisions in values rather than urgency to avoid reactive pivots. By intentionally recognizing both their impact and blind spots, ADHD leaders can channel their strengths to deliver meaningful results.
Time Blindness At Work
Many people quietly struggle with poor time awareness. They might lose track of time in meetings, underestimate how long tasks will take, or get stuck in mental loops that delay important responsibilities. This often leads to frustration, shame, or a sense of being misunderstood.… Recognizing that time blindness at work is common is the first step toward building better focus and attention (Shapiro, M.D., S., 2025).
Authenticity and vulnerability foster genuine trust. High energy and passion can be contagious, inspiring confidence. Yet inconsistency, overlooked details, or fluctuating capacity can erode trust. Overpromising and underdelivering, often stemming from executive function challenges, are common pitfalls for ADHD leaders. Tools such as reminders and task managers support follow-through and help set realistic expectations. Communicating openly about capacity and limits, owning mistakes without shame, and proactively updating team members and stakeholders when things change build trust and expand influence. These behavioral strategies eliminate the stress that arises when ADHD is hidden rather than leveraged. Trust and influence are built on transparent systems and honest communication, not perfection.
Teams and leaders can be energized by moments of enthusiasm and urgency, which build momentum and spark engagement. However, cycles of intensity often end in exhaustion, which can lead to burnout, and emotional intensity may overwhelm teams or derail focus. ADHD leaders need time to recover from intense activity. They want to design work rhythms that align with their natural energy patterns, delegate tasks that drain executive function, and focus on their strengths. Alison Whiteley (2025) proposed that the following mindfulness and grounding techniques can help ADHD leaders mitigate and regulate emotional spikes.
· Box Breathing can calm nerves and reset focus during stressful moments. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold for 4. Repeat.
· 4-7-8 Breathing can reduce anxiety and emotional overwhelm. Inhale for 4, hold for 7, and exhale for 8.
· Physiological Sigh can lower emotional intensity. Take two short inhales through the nose, then a long exhale through the mouth.
· 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Grounding helps anchor your attention in the present and reduce overwhelm. Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, and 1 you can taste.
· Progressive Muscle Relaxation helps relieve tension and reset after irritability or stress. Tense and relax muscle groups from head to toe.
· Mindful Labeling creates space from automatic reactions and increases control. Pause and name your thoughts, emotions, and sensations.
· Nature Connection restores balance, lowers stress, and provides sensory input. Step outside, touch a tree, walk barefoot on the grass, or take a purposeful stroll through the park.
· Routine and Structure prevent overwhelm and support consistent energy. Use visual boards, check-ins, and externalize priorities.
· S.T.O.P. Technique allows you to quickly reset before reacting, fostering self-regulation. Stop, take a breath, observe, and proceed with intention.
These techniques can be practiced daily or in moments of emotional intensity. Mindfulness and grounding aren’t about perfection – they’re about building reliable systems for emotional regulation and sustainable influence. By leading with authenticity and managing their energy, ADHD leaders can inspire and engage their teams without burning out.
Environmental sensitivity helps ADHD leaders connect with team needs and foster a sense of belonging. ADHD leaders often demonstrate a willingness to challenge norms and model vulnerability, which fosters growth. Internal turbulence (racing thoughts, emotional swings) can disrupt consistency, and difficulty with routine may undermine cultural stability. To build a sustaining culture, leaders can normalize neurodiversity, openly discuss both strengths and challenges, build routines and structures that support brilliance (not just compliance), and seek coaching or support without stigma – modeling self-awareness and enabling accelerated development. A sustaining culture is built when leaders harness ADHD as a calling, not a constraint, demonstrating that leadership is grounded, self-aware, and committed to unique and creative perspectives.
My Family’s Journey
My own journey with ADHD is deeply intertwined with my family’s story. My mother has ADHD. I have ADHD. My son has ADHD. My daughter has ADHD. I was an adult when the family realized that my mother had ADHD. It was my son’s diagnosis that prompted the personal research that helped me understand that ADHD is likely a hereditary condition. It explained why I struggle to focus and why I consistently run out of time to complete tasks. Instead, I was labeled lazy, unorganized, an adrenaline junky, or a teacher's soft-pedaled “she has so much potential, if only she…” Teachers did not know about ADHD when I was growing up. My mother still laments about how she had to work harder and longer than others to grasp concepts.
When my children were diagnosed, we faced the now-common crossroads of medication or behavioral strategies. They didn’t want medication, so together we chose to focus on building behavioral strategies and effective systems. This meant establishing routines, using visual reminders, and practicing open communication about our challenges and strengths. My children learned to advocate for themselves, ask for support when needed, and experiment with different organizational tools until they found what worked. As a family, we normalized neurodiversity, celebrated small victories, and supported each other through setbacks. Our experience echoes the stories of many others who have chosen to embrace their unique wiring and develop personalized strategies for success. It’s a journey of self-awareness, resilience, and continuous learning – one that proves ADHD is not an obstacle to leadership but an opportunity to lead with authenticity and intention.
When reframed through the Decalō Leaders framework, ADHD becomes a leadership advantage. The goal isn’t to “fix” ADHD – it’s to harness it, build structures that support impact, trust, inspiration, and culture, and to lead with integrity and service. Leadership isn’t about being flawless; it’s about being grounded, self-aware, and committed to self and team development.
Resources
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.
Barkley, R. A. (2015). Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
Guy-Evans, O. (2025). ADHD & time blindness. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/adhd-time-blindness.html
Hallowell, E. M., & Ratey, J. J. (2021). ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction. Ballantine Books.
Kofler, M. J., et al. (2019). Executive functioning in ADHD: Implications for leadership and workplace performance. Journal of Attention Disorders.
Logsdon, A. (2025). ADD vs. ADHD: How are they different? Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/add-and-attention-deficit-disorders-2161810
Nadeau, K. G. (2016). The ADHD leader: Strategies for harnessing strengths and managing challenges. Advantage Books.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press.
Shapiro, M.D., S. (n.d.). Focus and productivity: Seven solutions for time blindness at work. https://www.scottshapiromd.com/even-top-performers-struggle-with-time-blindness-7-strategies-for-top-productivity/
Whiteley, A. (2025, April 1). ADHD & emotional regulation: Why it’s so hard and what can help. https://adhdlincs.org/adhd-emotional-regulation/
