You probably came across this article because you were searching for help addressing your challenges as a manager and leader with ADHD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s great. Learning how to do better in your role will help you feel more confident and enjoy what you do day-to-day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And as you read<\/strong> through this article, notice which areas stand out to you. Think about one area <\/strong>you want to experiment with and change how you are operating now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, small experiments beat big intentions<\/strong> when it comes to follow-through for adults with ADHD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step is to get clear on your current strengths and talents. I\u2019m using this definition. Strengths<\/strong> = Talents + Skills + Knowledge<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A combination of your talents<\/strong>, what you\u2019re naturally good at<\/strong>, and your strengths is probably what helped you secure your leadership position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe you have talents, such as being an out-of-the-box thinker, a natural problem solver, or someone who is good in a crisis, a risk taker, etc. And you don\u2019t want to lose these<\/strong> by focusing only on your weaknesses as you\u2019re looking to become a stronger manager and leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because, as Dr Ed Hollowell, renowned ADHD expert, notes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best way to change a life of frustration into a life of mastery is by developing talents and strengths, not just shoring up weaknesses.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n I think what this means<\/strong> for leaders and managers with ADHD is that you want to get really clear on your talents and strengths. And then see how you can augment these by upgrading the skills and knowledge you need to be a good manager\/leader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if one of your talents is being quick to solve problems, you may need to upgrade your ability to guide your team to solve problems on their own, without jumping in prematurely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So let\u2019s get on with exploring how you can become a better manager without losing all of those qualities that make you a good manager right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the first places you might need to start, if you want to excel as a manager, is what Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less<\/em><\/a>, is being more discerning about how you use your time and energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So you can make your \u201chighest contribution\u201d as a leader without stretching yourself too thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re unsure whether you\u2019re being discerning enough, ask yourself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Am I following through on the work necessary to be the kind of leader I want to be?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n For example<\/strong>, as a leader, you need to be clear on your vision<\/strong>, what success will look like long-term. But for adults with ADHD, immediate tasks often feel more compelling than long-term priorities. Are you clear on your vision? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another example<\/strong> might be team development<\/strong>. Are you helping each team member handle problems independently, so your time is freed for higher-level priorities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you know your essential work, the next challenge is protecting time for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you\u2019re not spending time on your essential work, it may be because you are spending too much time in reactive mode. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that the ADHD nervous system is interest-based. What this means is that you\u2019re naturally motivated to do work that is challenging, interesting, novel or has a sense of urgency. In fact, if you\u2019re not careful, you may over-rely on urgency to guide your decisions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So instead of doing your more essential work, you may instead: <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m sure you have other examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key<\/strong> is making sure you are protecting time for your essential work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And the first step to ensure you are doing your essential work is to make sure you\u2019re doing enough review and planning<\/strong> (upfront thinking) on a regular basis. As doing this on a yearly or even quarterly basis won\u2019t be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need a weekly practice<\/strong> of thinking strategically<\/strong> to remind yourself of your intentions and plan how to carry them out. Otherwise, you will likely forget what they are and then revert to the business of doing, solving the latest crisis, attending meetings, writing and responding to emails, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, even if this sounds like a good idea, I know you may resist doing this<\/strong> upfront thinking, at least in the beginning. One reason is likely that you feel you have too many urgent matters on your plate and don\u2019t have time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And it\u2019s true. You do have too many urgent issues on your plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the key in the beginning<\/strong>, before you can really notice the efficacy of doing this, is to remind yourself that in the long run it will save you time, as you will be clear that you\u2019re focusing on the right things. That is, you\u2019ll have to trust that it\u2019s time well spent until you can really see the benefits and believe that it’s true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then once you see these benefits, it will become easier to do. You will likely want to do it. Promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, faith won\u2019t be enough! <\/p>\n\n\n\n You will also need to build support to follow through<\/strong>, such as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to take this leap of faith? <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can design your weekly planning and review checklist using the suggestions in my post, The ADHD Adult\u2019s Guide to the Weekly Review<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you do this, you will be better able to steer the ship the way you want and become the leader you want to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, in order to ensure that you and your team members are aligned and that they consistently follow through on what they need to do, you\u2019ll also need to be consistent in your expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But right now, because of your ADHD, you may struggle to have consistent expectations. And, as a result, your team may also end up delivering inconsistently. Sound familiar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three main reasons<\/strong> you\u2019re being inconsistent with your expectations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Memory challenges<\/strong>. For example, maybe before your one-on-one, you have a clear idea about what you want to check in about. But then, in the midst of the conversation, you forget because of working memory challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or perhaps you didn\u2019t think of a topic before the meeting, and because of long-term memory challenges, you forgot to bring it up at all. Then weeks later, you remember and bring it up in frustration because they haven\u2019t followed through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resistance to follow-up.<\/strong> Even when you do remember, you may resist following up because it feels like yet another thing on your already overwhelming plate. Following up with team members is time-consuming, and, sure, it\u2019s reasonable to expect them to do their work without you needing to micromanage every detail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But you still need to follow up, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Changing course without full consideration.<\/strong> One of your ADHD strengths is generating lots of ideas and seeing new possibilities. That may be part of what got you into leadership. And when you shift direction, you probably have what seems like a good reason. But maybe you did not think through the full implications of that change on your team\u2019s current workload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result of all this inconsistency<\/strong>? Your team gets frustrated. They think the work isn\u2019t important to you. So they prioritize other things. Then they\u2019re not fully invested in executing because they\u2019re not sure whether the direction will stay the same. Makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You definitely don\u2019t need more willpower<\/strong>. The fix is better systems<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If consistency is one of your challenges, where would you like to start turning that around?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many valid reasons you might step in to solve your team members\u2019 problems. Maybe you want to be helpful, avoid risk, or keep things moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you know your ADHD brain also loves a good \u201ccrisis.\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, when a team member comes to you with a problem that feels urgent, it can activate your brain\u2019s reward system. Then, yes, dopamine is released, and you\u2019re feeling energized and motivated. You\u2019re locked in, and solving the problem feels incredibly satisfying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, whether because of your ADHD or other reasons, you may jump in prematurely into fix-it mode and create unintended consequences<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, try shifting into coach mode. Ask questions that can guide your team toward their own solutions, such as<\/p>\n\n\n\n This still engages your ADHD problem-solving brain<\/strong> without needing to come up with the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever<\/em><\/a> by Michael Bungay Stanier to learn how to develop this skill and become more coach-like in how you lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll free up your time and<\/em> build a more capable team. Win-win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one problem you jumped into recently that your team probably could have handled themselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last mistake that you may be making as a manager, and one that I see often in my work with clients, is not delegating enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, of course, it’s your responsibility to ensure your team completes the work they are responsible for. At the same time, it is obviously not your responsibility to do all the work. I know you get that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But right now, you may be shouldering too much of the load<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I find that one of the primary reasons<\/strong> many ADHD adults do not delegate enough is because of the challenges with their ADHD executive functioning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all you need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a lot, no doubt! And the sheer cognitive load<\/strong> of thinking through all these steps can feel overwhelming.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So you may decide that “It’s just easier if I do it myself.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And in the short run,<\/strong> that’s probably true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in the long run,<\/strong> you’re probably seeing the bottlenecks<\/strong> you’re unintentionally creating because you just don’t have time to do all of the work that’s currently on your plate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And you’re also aware that you’re not spending your time<\/strong> doing the higher-level thinking that your job requires, like strategic thinking. Again, because you don’t have time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’ll be no surprise to you that the solution<\/strong> I’m suggesting is to put aside time to do more upfront thinking<\/strong> to make delegation decisions. And the time to do this is during the Weekly Review and Planning Time<\/a> I referred to above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, learning how to delegate well takes time and skill-building<\/strong>. But here are a few questions to get you started during your weekly review:<\/p>\n\n\n\nShoring Up ADHD Weaknesses Is Not The Solution <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why ADHD Adults Need To Decide Essential Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#1 Spend Too Much Time In Reactive Mode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#2 Don\u2019t Do Enough Up Front Thinking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#3 Have Inconsistent Expectations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#4 Try To Solve Everyone\u2019s Problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#5 Do Not Delegate Enough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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