ADD in Tech Leadership: The Late-Diagnosis Journey
ADD isn’t a disorder, it’s a different operating system. And in the fast-paced world of tech, it might just be the OS you need to run.
Imagine spending decades as a high-performing tech leader, driving innovation, and building groundbreaking systems, all while feeling like you’re constantly swimming upstream. Then, in your late 40s, you receive a diagnosis that suddenly makes your entire life make sense. That’s my story with ADD, and it’s a journey that’s reshaped my understanding of both my strengths and my challenges in the tech world.
As the CEO of a technology company, former CTO of a major blockchain platform and a veteran of numerous tech leadership roles, I’ve long known that my brain works differently. What I didn’t know until recently was that this difference has a name: ADD. This late diagnosis has been both a revelation and a revolution in my approach to work and life.
I want to share the double-edged sword of ADD in tech leadership, and how understanding and embracing this neurodiversity can be a game-changer for individuals and organizations alike.
The ADD Superpower: Harnessing the Storm
- Hyperfocus and Innovation
- The Strength: Ability to deeply focus on interesting problems, often leading to innovative solutions.
- Real-world Impact: This hyperfocus allowed me to dive deep into complex blockchain architectures, seeing connections others missed.
- Harnessing It: Create environments that allow for deep, uninterrupted work sessions on challenging problems.
- Rapid Idea Generation
- The Strength: Quick, associative thinking that generates numerous ideas.
- Real-world Impact: In brainstorming sessions, I could rapidly ideate multiple solutions, driving creative problem-solving.
- Harnessing It: Use mind-mapping tools and collaborative platforms to capture and organize the flood of ideas.
- Thriving in High-Stimulation Environments
- The Strength: Ability to juggle multiple projects and thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
- Real-world Impact: Excelling in startup environments and crisis management situations where quick thinking and adaptability are crucial.
- Harnessing It: Create role flexibility that allows for engagement with various projects and problems.
- Out-of-the-Box Thinking
- The Strength: Non-linear thinking that leads to unique solutions and perspectives.
- Real-world Impact: Approaching technical and business problems from unconventional angles, leading to breakthrough innovations.
- Harnessing It: Encourage and reward unconventional thinking in your team and organization.
The ADD Challenges: Navigating the Whirlwind
- Difficulty with Routine Tasks
- The Challenge: Struggling with repetitive or perceived “boring” tasks.
- Real-world Impact: Procrastination on essential but mundane aspects of leadership roles.
- Managing It: Delegate routine tasks where possible, and use gamification techniques to make necessary repetitive work more engaging.
- Time Management and Deadlines
- The Challenge: Difficulty estimating time and meeting deadlines.
- Real-world Impact: Occasional missed deadlines or underestimation of project timelines.
- Managing It: Use external structures like digital calendars, time-tracking apps, and setting earlier internal deadlines.
- Impulsivity in Decision Making
- The Challenge: Tendency to make quick decisions without full consideration.
- Real-world Impact: Sometimes committing to projects or strategies without thorough analysis.
- Managing It: Implement a structured decision-making process that forces pause and reflection before major decisions.
- Emotional Regulation
- The Challenge: Intense emotions and difficulty regulating them.
- Real-world Impact: Occasional outbursts or visible frustration in high-stress situations.
- Managing It: Practice mindfulness techniques and create a “cool down” protocol for heated moments.
The Late Diagnosis Effect: A New Lens on Life and Work
Receiving an ADD diagnosis in my late 40s was like finally getting the user manual for my brain. It explained so much about my past experiences:
- The intense work sessions that produced my best innovations.
- The struggles with routine paperwork and administrative tasks.
- The ability to thrive in chaotic startup environments.
- The challenges with long, detailed planning sessions.
This new understanding has allowed me to:
- Reframe Past Experiences: Recognizing that many of my “failures” were actually misalignments between my neurology and the expected norm.
- Tailor My Work Environment: Creating a work setup that plays to my strengths and supports my challenges.
- Communicate More Effectively: Explaining my work style and needs to colleagues in a way that fosters understanding and collaboration.
- Embrace My Neurodiversity: Seeing my ADD not as a flaw to be hidden, but as a unique cognitive style to be leveraged.
Strategies for ADD Tech Leaders: Amplifying Strengths, Mitigating Challenges
- Create a Dopamine-Friendly Environment
- Set up your workspace and schedule to provide the novelty and stimulation your ADD brain craves.
- Use music, fidget tools, or background noise to maintain optimal stimulation levels.
- Leverage Hyperfocus Strategically
- Identify your peak focus hours and protect them fiercely for deep work.
- Use techniques like the Pomodoro method to create structure around focus sessions.
- Build a Strong Support System
- Surround yourself with team members whose strengths complement your challenges.
- Be open about your ADD with trusted colleagues who can provide support and accountability.
- Embrace Technology as Your External Brain
- Utilize project management tools, reminder apps, and digital assistants to offload mental overhead.
- Experiment with AI tools for tasks that your ADD brain finds challenging, like summarizing long documents or organizing ideas.
- Practice Radical Self-Compassion
- Recognize that your brain works differently, and that’s okay.
- Celebrate your ADD-driven successes as much as you work on your challenges.
Redefining Neurodiversity in Tech Leadership
My journey with late-diagnosed ADD has taught me that neurodiversity in tech leadership isn’t just about accommodation—it’s about innovation. The very traits that can make ADD challenging in traditional work environments can be rocket fuel in the right tech roles.
As leaders, we have a responsibility not just to manage our own neurodiversity, but to create environments where all types of minds can thrive. This means rethinking our approaches to work structure, communication, and performance evaluation.
Imagine a tech industry that doesn’t just tolerate neurodiversity, but actively seeks it out and nurtures it. Where we recognize that the next big innovation might come not in spite of ADD, but because of it.
To my fellow late-diagnosed ADD tech leaders: you’re not broken, you’re not flawed. You’re running a different operating system in a world built for another. But in the rapidly evolving tech landscape, your OS might just be the one best suited for the challenges ahead.
And to those working alongside neurodivergent colleagues: embrace the diversity of thought and approach they bring. The next breakthrough might come from that colleague who can’t sit still in meetings but can hyperfocus on solving impossible problems.
In the end, my ADD diagnosis hasn’t just changed how I see myself—it’s changed how I lead, innovate, and envision the future of tech. It’s time we reframe ADD and other neurodiversities not as disorders to be managed, but as unique cognitive gifts to be unleashed.
The future of tech leadership isn’t about fitting square pegs into round holes. It’s about building an industry that has room for pegs of all shapes—and recognizing that those unique shapes might just be the key to unlocking the next level of innovation.