The Gift of Neurodivergence in Entrepreneurs
By: Malia Weingarten
“Neurodiversity means to be part of the diversity of humanity as a whole. It means different, not flawed – and everyone is different. That’s something I could have done with knowing as I grew up”, says Florence Welch, the sextuple platinum-certified lead singer of Florence + the Machine—a band that has achieved global success with 25 out of 115 nominated music awards. Welch herself is neurodivergent—affected by dyslexia and dyscalculia—altering her ability to process words and numbers.
The word “neurodiversity” is relatively new. Still, it changes the game for its community because it throws us as a culture into the full spectrum of human brain function: it includes and normalizes human habits like energy balances, mood shifts, tics, speech differences, sensitivities, and patterns of thinking. A community once outcast and given demeaning traits like lazy, forgetful, spacey, impulsive, and unintelligent is now working towards normalizing differences in speech, articulation, information processing, and sensory understanding.
Thankfully, through research, empathy, and changing our language, we learn more every day about the brains and behavior of those with neurodivergence. Studies suggest that even if neurodivergent people (such as those with ADHD) struggle with tasks like focusing and sitting still, they have shown increased levels of entrepreneurship, creativity, insight, and out-of-the-box thinking towards their passions. It’s time we debunked the negative stereotypes about neurodivergence and shed some light on why their differences ultimately can help drive those affected to success.
The neurodivergent community’s largest sect is those with ADHD, short for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD describes an ongoing pattern of inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. People with ADHD experience many of the following symptoms:
Inattention - Difficulty staying on task, sustaining focus, and staying organized, not due to lack of comprehension.
Hyperactivity - When a person feels as if they have to move about constantly, including in situations when it is not appropriate: excessive fidgets, taps, or talks.
Impulsivity - When a person acts without thinking or has difficulty with self-control.
These three traits—inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity—seem unideal in the workplace or classroom. These are two productive environments that we examine the most as a society, yet the most limited in movement and spontaneity. They’re environments in which we expect their constituents to be well-behaved citizens: quiet, attentive, and linearly task-oriented. Thanks to research and real-life testimonials, however, we now know that ADHD can be a valuable asset in entrepreneurship: an environment where quick thinking and daring are encouraged and needed. Words like “inattention,” “hyperactivity,” and “impulsivity” can be relabeled in entrepreneurship as “multitasking,” “proactivity,” and “risk-taking.” “ADHDers are often at their best in crisis mode, multi-tasking, and free-associating to intuitively reach a solution,” explains Dr. Dale Archer for Forbes Magazine. “If they find something they truly love to do, they are able to focus for hours on end.”
Additionally, the tendency to seek novelty and excitement may drive those with ADHD to entrepreneurship. According to a study on ADHD-afflicted dopamine receptors, “people with a genetic predisposition to sensation-seeking are more likely to be entrepreneurs, and shared genes influence the co-variation in the tendency to be an entrepreneur and sensation-seeking.” Because sensation-seeking is more common in entrepreneurs than in the rest of the general population, we can infer that this increased sensation-seeking largely stems from a greater ratio of ADHD-afflicted business owners to neurotypical business owners.
Many ADHD kids have grown up and used their diagnosis as a tool for proactivity, creativity, and overall greatness, career-wise or recreational. Some find an advantage in sports, where “hyperactivity” translates into scanning the field and perceiving the situation much faster. Some find an outlet in music, where the synthesis stream of sound and lyrics create endless ideas. Others find their outlets in fashion, where innovation and jumping to the “next best thing” never goes out of style. Below is a short list of some women celebrities who prove that ADHD is normal, accepted, and even a valuable asset in a fast-paced work environment:
Simone Biles
Simone Biles, the winner of 25 world championships and history’s most decorated gymnast, uses gymnastics to release energy from her ADHD. Dr. David Conant-Norville, an ADHD-specialized pediatric psychiatrist in Beaverton, Oregon, says of ADHD and sports, “Many ADHD kids need sports as an outlet for their energy — not to mention a way to rebuild confidence clobbered by the negative reinforcement they get from teachers, coaches or their neurotypical peers.” Additionally, during the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles stood up for neurodivergent people when she defended using Ritalin to manage her ADHD. After hackers leaked her medical records to discredit her integrity, she clapped back on Twitter, saying, “Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of. [It is] nothing that I'm afraid to let people know.”
2. Emma Watson
It’s safe to say that Emma Watson has led an illustrious career in only a few decades. She has appeared in nineteen films, graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature, and previously worked as the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. She also hosted a 2021 environmentalist panel with Greta Thunberg and has multiple times advocated for intersectional feminism. ADHD Foundation stated in a Facebook post that she “was diagnosed with ADHD as a young child and was medicated throughout the filming of Harry Potter.” Even if ADHD is not a topic that Watson discusses frequently, it still shows that women with ADHD can accomplish just about any dream they have.
3. Lisa Ling
Lisa Ling is an award-winning investigative journalist who created the 2011-2014 docuseries “Our America with Lisa Ling,” where she explores the deeper, overlooked corners of American society: heroin epidemics, online brides, extreme parenting, life on indigenous reservations, and more. She reportedly thanks her ADHD for helping her establish her journalism career because it helped her find her passion.
On the Oprah Winfrey Network, she expressed, “I have always had a bit of a difficult time focusing on things that aren't interesting to me…When I'm immersed in a story, then I feel like I can laser focus, but if I'm not working, my mind goes in every direction but where it's supposed to go, [and] I've been like that since I was a kid.”
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4. Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles has undoubtedly helped shape her family’s legacy in the music industry. Having 47 nominations and 11 awards under her belt is no small feat for everyone. With 4 albums and hits like “Cranes in the Sky,” Solange’s individual impact on the music industry has helped define the legacy of individualist, avant-garde creators who step to the beats of their own drums. Most recently, she wrote an original score for the New York City Ballet’s production Play Time. She has also ventured into entrepreneurship, standing as the face of campaigns from brands like Giorgio Armani, Rimmel London, Puma, Calvin Klein, and Mercedez Benz.
Knowles spoke about ADHD with News 24, claiming that her sporadic energy levels led those around her to believe she was high for most of her waking hours. “People think I'm high even when I'm sober,” she explained. Refusing to believe her first diagnosis, she went in for a second opinion by a different medical professional. “ I didn't believe the first doctor who told me, and I had a whole theory that ADD was just something they invented to make you pay for medicine,” she revealed, “but then the second doctor told me I had it.”
She then went on to mention that she sees symptoms of ADHD everywhere in the music industry, like artists starting grand ideas and leaving them unfinished. Even so, the ideas that come to completion from ADHD artists have their full energy, heart, and passion. ADHD may interfere with linear task completion but inspires some of the best creatives.
ADHD and neurodivergence are not a diagnosis to be ashamed of or looked down upon. While those with ADHD may not function best in environments like office jobs or classrooms, they certainly can thrive in places that call for quick thinking, daring, and creativity. Entrepreneurship, artistry, and sportsmanship remain continuously places where those with ADHD can thrive; they are environments that keep up with the dynamism and speed of an ADHD person’s mind.
Remind your loved ones of the positive aspects! Those with ADHD may feel embarrassed about their symptoms or feel like their neurodivergence is a burden to those around them. It’s important to reassure your ADHD-diagnosed loved ones that they are important, wonderful, and productive.
Read more articles, journals, or books on how to understand ADHD. Those with the diagnosis may feel misunderstood by the neurotypical majority, so it’s important to lend empathy in these situations.
Listen and communicate. Even if minor misunderstandings arise, it’s important to talk through anything that may lead to resentment or frustration later on. Remember, this is a part of brain function that the person with ADHD cannot physically control or harness on their own. It’s important to have a strong support system of empathetic and patient people.
Develop a routine. Those with ADHD might work better if they know what to expect and when to expect it. Try developing a schedule, planning events and tasks in advance, and being proactive with yourself. That way, sudden plans won’t throw your energy askew.
Offer them Our Notion Template To Help Keep On Track of Daily Tasks, Routine, and Personal Wellness : https://h3r.space/h3r-notion-template
For more resources on female entrepreneurship and ADHD, we recommend checking out Chalene Johnson and ADHD Superwoman. □
Article Sources
https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11187-010-9308-1
https://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/story/_/id/17602540/bravo-simone-biles-taking-stand-adhd-stigma
https://adhdembrace.org/famous-people-with-adhd/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Watson#Acting_career
https://www.facebook.com/adhdfoundation/photos/a.1496504137265052/1608152719433526/?type=3&theatre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_America_with_Lisa_Ling#Episodes
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/photo-gallery/46084806/image/46085084/Lisa-Ling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Solange_Knowles#cite_note-1
https://www.news24.com/News24/Solange-has-ADD-20080818
https://psychcentral.com/adhd/suggestions-for-supporting-a-loved-one-with-adhd
