By: Carissa Carleton, MBA, CET
In my work with business owners and leadership teams, I’ve had many rewarding moments.
But if you asked me to name one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of, it would be this: helping leaders understand their neurodivergent employees better — and adjust their leadership approach to allow those employees to thrive.
The Conversation Always Starts the Same Way
It usually begins with something like this:
“I have this person on my team who’s great. They’re capable, they fit in well with the culture, they bring value… but—”
And after the “but” comes a specific frustration:
- “They’re always five minutes late.”
- “They’re constantly making the same mistake.”
- Or something else entirely.
The instinct is often to look for a process fix or tighten up enforcement.
And sometimes, yes, clearer systems and expectations help.
But sometimes the issue isn’t about process or discipline at all.
It’s About Understanding How People Function
Through these conversations, I’ve seen leaders make incredible progress — not by tightening control, but by expanding understanding.
When we take the time to explore how someone processes information, what environments they thrive in, and why certain patterns show up, the solutions often become simple — and incredibly effective.
Seemingly Small Shifts, Big Results
In one case, it came down to something as basic as adding focused task lighting at a workstation — which significantly improved focus and accuracy.
In another, it was coaching the employee to rebuild their schedule using colour-coding and visual tools that aligned with how their brain naturally organized information.
These weren’t entry-level employees either — they were managers, team leads, people in positions of influence themselves.
The result wasn’t just improved performance. It was:
- Higher confidence in the employee
- Better outcomes for the team
- A stronger, more adaptable leader who learned to lead differently
Why This Matters to Me
I’ve seen employees who were close to leaving or being let go completely turn things around with these types of shifts.
I’ve seen leaders become better leaders through this process — more empathetic, more insightful, and more effective overall.
And I’ve seen the ripple effect:
- Less turnover.
- Higher engagement.
- Stronger teams built on trust and understanding.
It’s one of the reasons I believe so strongly in leadership development that embraces neurodiversity, instead of trying to manage around it.
If you’ve had a similar experience — either navigating this as a leader or being on the receiving end of better understanding — I’d love to hear your story.
We need more conversations like this in leadership spaces.
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