How to Perform Above Average with a Brain That Works

Nothing Like Most People's

When I worked in consulting and banking, the open-plan layout (endless desks, no offices except for the most senior leaders) was pure torture.

For example, having a conversation with a colleague while someone else was speaking loudly next to me was a constant test. My attention would lock onto the louder voice, and I would miss a lot of what the person I was speaking to was saying.

I did well, getting accelerated promotions, despite all of this because I built systems that allowed me to do well.

I constantly looked for quiet places to get work done. 

I found the best noise-blocking headphones you can buy. The kind that allow you to block noise completely. When possible, I would position my chair so I was facing the wall, even if it is just a cubicle wall, and that would help me focus better. The only issue is that if someone tried to talk to me, I would get startled. 

I also utilized the following:
- Unbooked boardrooms.
- Deserted corners of the office building.
- Coming at 6 am.
- Staying long after everyone else had left.
- Doing a lot of the work on weekends and at nights from home. 

Most people don’t see what it takes to get through a day when your brain isn’t wired like that of most people.

In consulting, we value structured thinking. We often expect linear thinking.

I’ve built a career in a profession where clarity, speed, and polish are the currency.

There’s tension in that.

I process differently. I work differently.

It doesn’t mean I’m unfocused or difficult.

Sometimes, I need more time, but I get a better answer than most people. 

I test more paths than most before committing.

I need quiet to think. 

Over the years, I have become better at being able to perform above average while having a brain that works differently from most people.

Here’s what helps me:

- Music that helps me stay focused
- I get up to 10x more done if I work at night (9 pm to 5 am). This is not possible or healthy on an ongoing basis but when needed, the option is there
- My mind switches on as soon as the sun sets, so while many people rest in the evening, I work until it is time to sleep. And if you look at my calendar, I have meetings and podcast recordings all the way to 9 pm. And some solitary work is done well after 9 pm. 
- I have to work in a quiet space with no one talking around me. Ideally, it needs to be a room with a closed door. An open-space office is pure torture for me
- Fresh air helps, so my windows are often open, even during the depths of winter or in the peak of summer
- It helps me focus if I work in a larger room
- I get good work done in a quiet space outside. In fact, if I work outside without any people around, I can get up to productivity level of 9 pm to 5 am (up to 10x)
- If my mind spaces out during a discussion, it is ok to ask a person to repeat. I am doing everything I can to stay focused. That is all I can ask of myself. And I know that what my mind produces (solutions, ideas, insights) is well worth the trouble for everyone involved
- Planning for what should be accomplished in a day must happen the night before, not the morning of
- I keep categorized to-do lists for a day, a week, a month, plus the main list with everything else. I also have a separate column for the highest priority tasks where I can’t drop the ball
- I have people on my team who are highly organized and keep the “trains” moving on time
- My main business partner, Michael, is the most organized person I have ever met. He is also the most talented person I have ever met. If I had to describe him in one word, it would be Godsend. And I don’t use that word lightly
- I leverage the power of my mind to see what others don’t see by regularly spending time in spaces (such as solitary walks in nature) where my mind can most effectively come up with new ideas and solutions. I am diligent about it because I get very important insights not just for my life but for our clients (e.g. for our executive coaching clients)

Neurodivergent consultants and leaders bring something unique. Not just one strength but a constellation of abilities that often show up in unexpected, high-impact ways.

1. A unique lens on the same data
Neurodivergent leaders often approach problems from non-traditional angles. This can lead to insights others overlook.

2. Focus others can’t sustain
This is characteristic of ADHD. While the focus is generally difficult to initiate or sustain on not engaging tasks, once interest and clarity are present, many experience "hyperfocus," an intense, sustained concentration that can last hours. In my particular case this also shows up as being able to remain regularly hyperfocused on the same topics for decades.

3. A natural resistance to groupthink
Many neurodivergent thinkers are less influenced by social pressure or convention. They may ask uncomfortable questions, raise red flags early, or propose contrarian ideas. This strengthens decision-making.

4. Creativity shaped by constraints
Working around neurotypical systems often forces creativity. The need to build workarounds often translates into sharper creative problem-solving.

5. Precision with language or logic
Some neurodivergent people are extremely sensitive to ambiguity, unclear phrasing, or flawed reasoning. This can elevate the rigor of a team’s thinking and the quality of the team's output. This is one reason I sometimes struggle in meetings. If a question involves a lack of clarity because of a lack of understanding of what the situation demands to be asked, I will first adjust what the question should be before I can answer it. For someone who is not paying as much attention as I do to unclear phrasing or flawed reasoning this can be frustrating.

6. Pattern recognition and systems thinking
Many neurodivergent thinkers may notice relationships across concepts, data points, or systems that others miss. In consulting, this ability to “see the whole chessboard” is a significant advantage.

7. Unusual memory strengths
Some neurodivergent people have strong episodic memory (remembering past experiences vividly), or working memory (keeping many ideas in mind simultaneously). This helps in synthesis, client conversations, and complex analysis. For example, when I was editing courses with Kevin P Coyne, such as How to Solve Big Problems, I pulled insights from all takes, not just from one selected take of a particular episode. And I stitched them together into one episode to ensure our members would not miss out on additional insights and examples. That means keeping in mind about 3-4 takes for each module. Each module has multiple episodes. If there are 10-12 modules in just one program, and I was editing multiple programs, that is a lot and most people would not do it. 

8. A deep sense of fairness or principles
Many neurodivergent leaders are extremely values-driven. They may resist political games, hold teams to high ethical standards, and be unafraid to voice dissent when something feels wrong. Personally, this trait has gotten me into trouble more than once. But it’s one I deeply respect in myself and in others.

9. Relentless curiosity
An intrinsic drive to understand can lead to better questions and better answers. This curiosity often drives deep expertise in specialized areas.

But to benefit from all that, we need to make room, not just in principle, but in how we actually work.

If you want your team, family member, a friend, or whoever you have in your life who has ADHD to deliver the value they can deliver, make it possible for them to do well.

That’s the part most people miss.

If we only reward those who perform a certain way, who think in a certain way, who come across in a certain way, we lose out on the outsized value others can bring. 

Quietly. Deeply. Differently.

And if you are the one who is neurodivergent, embrace your strengths. In my experience, they far outweigh the weaknesses if you are willing to put in the work, and what you can produce is well worth the trouble. What you can create is something the world really needs. And only you can deliver that unique work. No one else can.