Why do so many Neurodivergent Leaders burn out? And what can their organisations do about it?

Individuals with neurodivergent brains (those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or other neurological differences -whether diagnosed or not) can make excellent, natural leaders. While we may often focus on the difficulties that being neurodivergent may bring, people with neurodivergent brains often have natural strengths in areas that facilitate great leadership: strategic big picture thinking; creative thinking and problem solving; analytical insight; engaging, flexible communication skills; and the ability to synthesize and use complex information.

Burnout among leaders generally is, unfortunately, becoming ever more common, and for neurodivergent leaders, the likelihood of suffering burnout not just once, but potentially on a repeated basis, is particularly high.

Neurodivergent burnout is not simply the result of long hours or heavy workloads, although this is certainly one factor and the reasons those ND leaders might be working longer hours are not necessarily the same as those you might expect in your neurotypical colleagues. For neurodiverse leaders, the burnout they experience happens not just because of the long hours they put in, but because of sustained cognitive, emotional, and social strain which is caused by a mismatch between their natural ways of thinking and the environments in which they are expected to lead.

1. The Cost of Constant Masking

Many neurodiverse professionals develop “masking” behaviours early in their careers – consciously or unconsciously adapting their communication styles, tone or body language to meet what they believe is expected of them in a neurotypical way.

In leadership roles, this pressure intensifies. Every presentation, board meeting, client meeting and informal conversation can become an exercise in self-monitoring, with a huge amount of cognitive energy and focus expended on thinking about how they are coming across – energy and focus that neurotypical leaders will be able to reserve for the actual business of the meeting. And before any of these interactions, there may well be significant time spent planning and rehearsing in detail exactly how to look, what to say, how to say it and how to behave, so there’s a level of exhaustion before the work even begins. Over time, this constant effort to appear “typical” drains emotional and cognitive energy, leaving little for the creativity or strategic thinking they are otherwise so brilliant at.

2. The Strain of Regulating Emotions to Maintain Credibility

Leadership is not straightforward. It’s a rollercoaster ride at the best of times, with constant re-prioritising of ever-conflicting demands and management of relationships with (naturally unpredictable) people at the heart of what it takes to be successful.

For some neurodivergent leaders, developing strong relationships will come naturally and collaborating closely with others will be at the heart of how they operate at their best. But for many, managing their emotional reactions and responses may be among their biggest challenges. Their reactions to stress, frustration or criticism – real or perceived – are likely to be faster and bigger than they would in a neurotypical leader. As leaders, they are well aware of the importance of remaining calm and measured and of the potentially negative impact on relationships or their leadership credibility if they are seen as being volatile or appearing to over-react. The effort taken to hold in or manage the emotions they experience during meetings and conversations with others in order to manage this is huge. And, after the event, once in private, they may well experience the need for a huge emotional release. They will probably also spend a great deal of time going back over and over the event, trying to understand what really happened, criticising themselves and adding further to their exhaustion in the process.

3. Overcompensation and Perfectionism

Perfectionism is not, of and in itself, a problem, and is not limited to those who are neurodiverse. However, there are additional challenges faced by neurodiverse leaders which mean perfectionism is very commonly a root cause of burnout.

Neurodiverse leaders are often acutely aware of their differences and the stereotypes or assumptions that may surround these. To counter these, they may push themselves harder, take on more responsibility, and strive for perfection in every task. What begins as a desire to prove competence and hide what they may see as weaknesses, can evolve into a relentless cycle of overwork, overthinking and self-criticism.

Many neurodiverse individuals also experience hyperfocus. While this can be an asset in being able to stick with a really challenging task, losing track of time and boundaries in this way results in these leaders working long hours without recognising signs of exhaustion until it is too late.

4. Environments That Overwhelm

Want a neurodivergent leader to develop an innovative business turn-around strategy or communicate an extraordinary new vision to the organisation? No problem. But beyond the big picture, creative, entrepreneurial thinking and decision making, traditional leadership cultures often prize constant availability, high social fluency, and rapid context-switching. These expectations can be particularly taxing for neurodiverse leaders whose brains process information, emotion, and sensory input differently.

Bright open offices with constant background noise, back-to-back meetings which need constant context switching, jumping onto a quick call about something unexpected, and attending unstructured social events are all examples of apparently everyday life for leaders which can cause sensory and cognitive overload and resulting difficulty with focus. When neurodivergent leaders must continuously adapt to an environment not designed for their needs, burnout becomes almost inevitable.

5. The Isolation of Senior Roles

Leadership can already be lonely, but for neurodiverse leaders it can feel isolating in a different way. They may hesitate to disclose their neurodivergence or aspects of their work they are finding challenging for fear of being misunderstood or perceived as less capable. This means they are less likely to ask for help and more likely to “push on through”, until it’s already too late. Without psychological safety or access to peers who share their experiences, they often carry the weight of this alone, and instead instigate all the over-working, over-thinking behaviours we’ve already explored. This isolation can magnify stress and takes a toll on well-being.

So how can we support Neurodivergent Leaders better in the work place?

Burnout is not inevitable — but ignoring the unique pressures faced by neurodiverse leaders ensures it will remain a likely outcome. We can provide the leadership that these leaders need to thrive by showing we understand the pressures they face and addressing them by:

Encouraging open, stigma-free conversations about neurodiversity at senior levels, and demonstrating we recognise the likelihood that any successful organisation will have neurodivergent leaders within it

• Allowing flexibility in communication styles and meeting styles so that leaders are able to work with their brains and not constantly be fighting against them
• Creating the kind of psychological safety that enables leaders to discuss their needs and gain the sense of permission they may need to work differently to “the norm”
• Creating more flexible work environments, and enabling greater flexibility in routines so these can be more predictable and leaders are able to manage their cognitive load in a way that enables them to spend their energy on the thinking you want them to do rather than on managing the environment around them
• Offering coaching or mentoring tailored to neurodiverse leaders, even if their performance is considered to be exemplary, to help them manage their wellbeing and energy, and develop confidence in working in ways that allow them to truly thrive and get the best out of themselves

When we do this, we benefit not just the leaders themselves, but also the organisation and the people they lead.

 

Written by: Jo Lee, specialist Neurodiverse Coach and Associate Executive Coach for The Coaching Solution

Jo is an experienced executive coach, specialising in coaching neurodivergent leaders and executives who want to achieve a better balance between their professional performance, workload and personal wellbeing and lifestyle .

She works with clients with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, whether or not a diagnosis has been made (and often with people who have been recently diagnosed or are currently being assessed, and want support to come to terms with a new view of themselves.

If you are interested in working with Jo, please contact info@thecoachingsolution.co.uk or call on 07789 007591.