Great minds do not think alike...
Please note this article is not intended to represent medical advice or diagnosis - please consult a professional for this.
At The Drop conference in Malmö earlier this year, I co-organised a ‘Ripple’ (roundtable) with Robin Allenson about neurodiversity in the climate start-up community. The people who joined us were mostly founders, but also included investors, consultants and community organisation leaders. All identified as relating to neurodiversity on a personal level, with the types most represented being Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism, so the comments below will be most relevant to those conditions.
It’s difficult to get accurate numbers, but it is estimated that both ADHD and autism are found in the entrepreneur community at around five times the level of the general population, with around 29% having ADHD and 5% being autistic (sources at end). There are other forms of neurodiversity which also seem to be over-represented in the entrepreneur community, notably dyslexia. For ADHD, it seems likely that this is because of some of the noted characteristics - big picture thinking, creative problem-solving, need for new experiences and continual change, comfort with risk-taking and uncertainty, challenging the status quo, energy and enthusiasm - have a lot of overlap with those we celebrate in entrepreneurs. Equally, many with autism talk about their tendencies to have intense focus, give attention to detail, and to hold a lot of facts in their heads - all also useful in start-ups. Essentially, the ability to think differently about a problem and to come up with innovative solutions is a core part of the entrepreneurial DNA.
Many of those who opened up at our Ripple talked about the superpowers they had from their neurodiversity and felt that they were better at their jobs because of it. However, it’s also clear that dealing with neurodiversity can add a significant amount of stress into what is already a very stressful industry. For example, people having ADHD can have problems saying ‘no’ and take on too much, then feel guilt and shame at letting people down. Simply trying to get anything done when you have a low ability to focus and there are distractions everywhere can lead to feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion. Autistic entrepreneurs can misread social and emotional cues, leading to issues with interpersonal relationships. It’s no surprise that both conditions often co-occur with anxiety and depression. Several in the group shared about the mental health toll leading to negative coping strategies they developed to relax, often to the detriment of their health and relationships.
Many of us talked about our neurodiversity as an integral part of us, part of our identity and strength. In the end, we mostly felt that we had figured out how to do what we need to do, and to do what society expects of us. However, this might have been on a completely subconscious level, and might have involved covering up differences rather than acknowledging them, and we had all felt the burden of this.
After The Drop, I found a lot of people wanted to talk to me about neurodiversity, and I thought it might be helpful to reflect on some of these conversations here. The two most common questions I have encountered are:
I think I might be neurodivergent - how can I tell?
It’s important to note that being neurodivergent is a lived experience, and there is no one way that ND individuals think and act. Conditions exist on a spectrum and what is overwhelming for one ND person can be okay with another. One thing many ND people talk about is always feeling a bit different - perhaps not picking up on social cues, not feeling like they fit in, saying the wrong thing, reacting differently, being more sensitive, feeling like everything is a bit harder for them than it seems to be for others.
As this would have been the case from an early age, many ND people work out what they need to do to (mostly) fit in and cope without ever even articulating to themselves or to others this sense of difference. Some might want to explore this when they become aware of it, some won’t. If you do want to find out more, there are great resources to help understand more about neurodiverse conditions and also screeners which you can check out - you may find that one or more of the questions gives you an “ah ha” moment. Of course, everyone experiences these phenomena from time to time, so it’s worth reflecting on to what extent you experience them persistently, and to an extent that they significantly impact your life.
ADHD
NHS ADHD resources
Adult ADHD self-report symptom checklist (ASRS v1.1)
General background about ADHD from ADHD UK
Autism
NHS autism resources
Adult autism questionnaire (AQ10)
General background about autism from Autism UK
“Unmasking Autism” book (covers neurodiversity more broadly than autism too)
I work with people I think might be neurodivergent - how can I best support them?
It’s great to see more recognition and support of the neurodiverse community. However, most ND people I have spoken to know they can’t expect the world to change for them, and if they need particular accommodations they need to sort it out themselves or have a direct conversation about it. As everyone’s reactions to conditions are different, proactive adaptations might be ineffective, however well-intentioned. But, many people do not feel comfortable talking about their neurodiversity, especially in the workplace.
So what can employers do? Perhaps the best approach is to try to create a supportive working culture where diversity of thought is celebrated, make it clear that you are open to talk about potential adaptations for any reason, and be sensitive to signs of struggle wherever they occur.
Please get in touch if you would like to talk about your experiences with neurodiversity, or would like to join an informal peer community group of neurodiverse climate founders & funders.
By Pippa Gawley pippa@zerocarbon.capital
Sources:
29% of entrepreneurial population having ADHD (Freeman et. al, 2018) vs 4-5% in general adult population (ADHD UK, quoting NICE and Lancet).
Autism prevalence is at 1-2% in the general population (NICE), surveys indicate levels of 5-10% in the entrepreneur community but there is a lack of reliable hard data.
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