Leaders who are open about their own neurodivergence can set a powerful example of authenticity and send an inspiring message of support to neurodivergent professionals who feel unrepresented in their organisations — a sentiment shared by two professionals on different career journeys.
Openly neurodivergent leaders are crucial for social mobility because people who have struggled in the education system might not think they could ever be an accountant, said Gavin Simpson, ACMA, CGMA, a finance business partner and senior analyst at JLR, a motor vehicle manufacturing company in the UK.
Representation in leadership can make a “huge difference” because it shows neurodivergent employees that there are pathways to promotion in their organisation, according to Eliana Bravos, co-founder of ND Connect, a mentorship and community platform for neurodivergent professionals. Bravos is also the chair and founder of Viability, a Canadian organisation that works with leaders on work neuroinclusivity.
NHS England defines neurodivergence as the way the brain works differently from what is considered typical or the “societal norm”. Neurodivergent conditions include autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, Tourette’s syndrome, and other conditions.
Employees, including those in leadership, are often reluctant to disclose their neurodivergence because of a fear of professional and social consequences, Bravos said. Being able to facilitate open discussions around neurodivergence at work will depend on a workplace’s psychological safety.
“We do have a massive lack of neurodivergent leaders within finance and accounting,” Simpson said.
Talking about your own experiences empowers others to talk about theirs, he said, reflecting on his work on a diversity, equity, and inclusion board that encouraged a chief operating officer to “come out as dyslexic” at over 50 years old.
Fostering an environment for those conversations is vital for employees who struggle to understand how their brain works. That struggle can affect mental health, Simpson said. “Having neurodivergent mentors and leaders could help employees massively because they would understand how their brain works and what they need to be successful.”
Diversity of thought
Companies can unlock more innovation across their processes when employees feel comfortable to be themselves and share their opinions.
Innovation comes when leaders embrace different ways of thinking to approach problems, Bravos said. That openness allows organisations to find a better way of meeting the needs of customers and clients, some of whom may also be neurodivergent.
A wealth of research focuses on the strengths of neurodivergent people, especially in areas such as creative thinking, abstract thinking, visual-spatial processing, and experimental skills. However, every neurodivergent person is different, with individual strengths and weaknesses the same as neurotypical people, Bravos said.
Simpson said that neurodivergent people can possess attributes that range from big-picture thinking to an ability to “get into the finer details” and see trends and patterns. My brain just works in a way that helps me to be a great accountant, he said.
Employers see value in how neurodivergent brains can decode information, Simpson said, citing intelligence services actively recruiting neurodivergent talent for their skills.
But organisations can be at risk of “group think” when they overlook talent that took alternative pathways to become qualified, Simpson said.
“A lot of neurodivergent people like me struggled in the education system because the environment isn’t right for everyone; I left school with no qualifications,” Simpson said. “I know from a previous employer, it was all about getting that CGMA, and they looked for people that had done that early on in their careers. That’s a huge barrier.”
Simpson said that organisations could end up with very little diversity of thought if they focus on adding professionals who have all been on the same journey.
Using different measurements to assess capabilities in recruitment processes, such as psychometric testing — a tool that helped Simpson realise his brain was suited to the accounting profession — could help employers diversify talent pools.
From Bravos’s experience, organisations struggle to be heterogeneous when they are not receptive to views that challenge the status quo. “I think a lot of us have had a manager or somebody higher up ask us for our perspective on something,” she said, “and then only realising after that they wanted more of ‘That sounds great’ — not a really honest response.”
Taking different perspectives on board is important for improving decision-making. “That’s where the magic of diversity of thought really happens,” she said.
Challenging assumptions
Lack of education around neurodivergence in the workplace can cause organisations to conflate differences and deficiencies.
When leaders are not explicit, it can be difficult for neurodivergent employees to understand what’s expected of them. “It took me some time to understand all of the hidden rules in a lot of workplaces,” Bravos said. When employees’ communication styles are seen as different, it can spark assumptions that they are less competent and less trustworthy, she said.
“We make assumptions because we feel like we understand other people’s internal emotional states when we don’t,” she said. “Working to give people the benefit of the doubt and assuming good intent goes a long way.”
Leaders also need to build awareness around environmental needs when it comes to work models, according to Simpson, who finds working in an office distracting.
A CEO might want everyone to return to the office because they’re extroverted and they thrive around other people, he said, but someone that’s “heavily introverted” might find it really hard to perform at their best in that environment.
“My career has ramped up massively since we’ve had hybrid working,” he said. “That’s what’s helped me get to where I am.”
Navigating these differences doesn’t have to be complex, and people should not have to disclose to get extra support. Adopting a servant leadership style can make it easier to see employees as individuals, Bravos explained. It’s about meeting people where they are and helping them to improve without putting them on a regimented performance plan.
“It’s really important not to see neurodivergent people either as tragedies or as superheroes,” she said. Ultimately, organisations should examine experiences and challenges through an intersectional lens, to create a workplace that works for everyone.
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
