3 things leaders can do to lead a neurodivergent team

With 10 to 25 per cent of the workforce identifying as neurodivergent, the question isn’t whether you’ll encounter neurodivergent team members; it’s whether you’ll create an environment where they can thrive, writes Callie Elward-Barrett.

When I first received my ADHD diagnosis at 42, I was resistant. Like many professionals, I didn’t think I fit the typical narrative. I was managing a senior role in the public service, leading teams, and appearing successful on the surface. But underneath, I was masking at enormous personal cost, bringing home anxiety and exhaustion that affected my family life.

This journey taught me something crucial: neurodivergent people are already in our workplace, often in leadership positions, and many are struggling in silence. With 10 to 25 per cent of the workforce identifying as neurodivergent, the question isn’t whether you’ll encounter neurodivergent team members; it’s whether you’ll create an environment where they can thrive.

Through my work establishing the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s Neurodiversity Network, working with public sector leaders and managers, coaching neurodivergent people to succeed in workplaces, and running Executive Functioning Leadership, I’ve learnt that leading neurodivergent teams isn’t about lowering standards or making excuses. It’s about unlocking the incredible strengths that diverse thinking brings to delivering better outcomes.

Here are the three most impactful things leaders can do to support their neurodivergent team members.

1. Foster psychological safety through vulnerability and openness

The most powerful tool in a leader’s arsenal is their willingness to be vulnerable and model openness. When I decided to share my ADHD diagnosis publicly, despite it being terrifying to put myself out there, something remarkable happened. People at all levels began approaching me, sharing their own neurodivergent experiences, and the conversations that followed transformed our workplace culture.

Psychological safety isn’t created through policies alone. It’s built through consistent actions that demonstrate you value different perspectives and approaches. This means actively challenging the deficit-focused narrative that dominates discussions about neurodivergence. Instead of viewing conditions like ADHD, autism, or dyslexia as risks to manage, reframe them as different ways of thinking that can drive innovation and enhance performance. This doesn’t mean toxic positivity or not acknowledging the very real challenges neurodivergent people can experience; it means understanding how the right environment and accommodations can help someone to thrive, not just survive.

Create space for these conversations by sharing your own learning journey. You don’t need to be neurodivergent yourself to demonstrate vulnerability. Perhaps you’re learning about inclusive leadership, or you’ve had to adapt your communication style for different team members. The key is showing that growth and adaptation are valued, not seen as weaknesses.

Make it clear that neurodivergent employees don’t need to mask their authentic selves to succeed in your team. When someone feels safe to mention their need for written follow-ups after verbal instructions, or to work with noise-cancelling headphones, or to take movement breaks, you’re not just supporting one person; you’re creating a culture where everyone can perform at their best.

2. Move beyond pathology-driven accommodations to a neurodiversity paradigm approach

Traditional workplace accommodations often feel like afterthoughts. Adjustments made for specific individuals that highlight their differences and require extensive paperwork to access. Neuro-inclusive design, by contrast, creates systems that work for everyone from the start by understanding that everyone in a workplace optimises differently. This shift in thinking can transform your entire team’s effectiveness.

Consider how you structure meetings. Rather than defaulting to verbal discussions with minimal context, provide clear agendas in advance as standard practice. Include specific time allocations, expected outcomes, and follow-up actions. This isn’t just helpful for someone who struggles with time blindness; it makes meetings more efficient for everyone.

Think about communication styles across your team. Some neurodivergent individuals are direct communicators who may seem blunt in a neurotypical context, while others might struggle with the ambiguity of indirect feedback. Establish clear communication norms that value both direct and nuanced styles. Create multiple channels for sharing ideas. Not everyone processes information best in group discussions.

Examine your performance management processes. Are you measuring productivity in ways that account for different work styles? A team member with ADHD might produce their best work in intensive bursts rather than steady daily output. Someone with autism might need more time to process complex information but deliver an incredibly thorough analysis. Design systems that capture and value these different approaches to achieving excellent results.

3. Harness strengths and reframe challenges

The most successful neurodivergent professionals I’ve worked with aren’t those who’ve learnt to minimise their differences, they’re those who’ve learnt to leverage their unique strengths while having supportive systems for their challenges. As a leader, our role is to help people identify and amplify these strengths while building scaffolding around areas where they need support.

Neurodivergent individuals often bring exceptional capabilities to teams: the ability to hyperfocus on complex problems, innovative thinking that challenges conventional approaches, attention to detail that catches errors others miss, and the capacity to see patterns and connections that aren’t immediately obvious. These are genuine competitive advantages.

Work with each team member to understand their optimal working conditions – neurodivergent and neurotypical alike. This might mean flexible hours for someone whose medication affects their energy levels, or project structures that allow for deep focus time. It could involve pairing someone who excels at big-picture thinking with a team member who enjoys detailed implementation.

Reframe challenges as opportunities for creative problem solving. If a team member struggles with time management, explore whether the issue is with estimation, prioritisation, or task switching. Don’t assume they need a better calendar or multiple reminders!

Different root causes require different solutions, and the process of working through these challenges often leads to better systems for the entire team.

Remember that neurodivergent employees often have sophisticated self-awareness about their needs that they’ve had to develop to navigate workplaces not designed for them. Trust their expertise about their own functioning and be willing to experiment with approaches that might seem unconventional. Be aware that some people will not feel safe to disclose their diagnosis, and a neurodiversity paradigm allows for many accommodations without disclosure.

Building truly inclusive teams requires leaders who are willing to do things differently. It means moving beyond checkbox compliance to creating environments where neurodivergent individuals don’t just survive but thrive. It means recognising that the same diversity of thought that can make meetings more challenging also drives innovation and better decision making.

The conversations I’ve had through my podcast, speaking events, and in my leadership roles have convinced me that we’re on the cusp of a significant shift in how we think about neurodivergence in the workplace. Organisations that embrace this change and that view neurodiversity as a competitive advantage rather than a challenge to manage will be the ones that attract and retain the most talented teams.

When we create workplaces that truly work for neurodivergent individuals, we don’t just improve outcomes for 10 to 25 per cent of our workforce. We create better, more flexible, more innovative environments for everyone. And in a tight talent market, that’s not just good leadership; it’s good business.

Callie Elward-Barrett is the executive director and chair of the Neurodiversity Network at the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. She will deliver a keynote address on these matters at the upcoming Women UNLIMITED Leadership Summit in Canberra.