The entrepreneur’s superpower.
That’s how Dr. Dale Archer, a medical doctor and board-licensed psychiatrist, refers to ADHD in an article for Forbes.
Dr. Archer believes that, with the right career choice and when leveraged correctly, the positive characteristics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are an employee’s strength.
He references successful entrepreneurs like Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, JetBlue founder David Neeleman, and business mogul Richard Branson, who all have ADHD and claim to have used it as a stepping stone for their achievements.
As these individuals practically built empires and excelled in their careers, some still struggle at work with even the most basic tasks.
So, what seems to be causing the discrepancy between ADHD symptoms manifestation and how they affect the workplace?
Ideally, those with ADHD could excel in the workplace when they find something enjoyable or fall behind when something causes stress or becomes a routine.
In reality, the ADHD symptoms and their manifestations are much more complicated and individualistic. They can create employment challenges if not treated correctly.
In fact, without a diagnosis or the proper treatment, employees could experience significant repercussions in the workplace. According to the article from Springer Link, employees with this disorder are 200% more likely to perform poorly and quit and 66% more likely to get fired than their colleagues.
Moreover, this neurodevelopmental disorder translates into all aspects of employment, including the job search, the recruitment process, and the salary. In fact, employees with ADHD have a lower income than individuals without.
Yet, entrepreneurs like Branson or Neeleman found themselves excelling at work. That’s because, as perplexing as it sounds, this condition has its benefits.
An article from the National Library of Medicine reveals that these neurodivergent individuals also tend to be more creative, innovative, inventive, and overall curious. Other common characteristics are multi-tasking, hyperfocus, risk-taking, and high energy.
Sometimes the conventional way of doing things might not be the best solution. Thus, their out-of-the-box approach to an issue could give them an advantage in the workplace by encouraging fresh ideas and innovative ways to solve a problem or a task.
However, this doesn’t null the negative symptoms and manifestations.
The key is understanding the symptoms and how they affect the individual and identifying ways to turn them into positives.
In a work environment, this should be a matter that concerns all parties, including the leadership and HR.
Only a positive and inclusive work culture can give an employee with ADHD a fair chance of excelling at the same pace as everyone else.