Good leadership seeks to develop individuals. What is helpful for many—a coaching-based leadership approach—is indispensable for a certain group of employees: People who are neurodivergent, i.e., those who cognitively function differently than average, benefit even more from coaching methods in leadership than others. However, they also pose unique challenges for the coaching manager.
The relationship between a team leader and his team is strained. The employees are dissatisfied with their boss’s leadership style; they perceive it as harsh and patronizing. This is having a negative impact on communication within the team, employee motivation, and even work performance. Change of scene: A division manager at a tech company is considered extremely creative, repeatedly attracting attention with brilliant ideas. However, her unpredictability and unreliability are also putting those around her to the test. She regularly arrives late to meetings, forgets tasks, or gets lost in details.
At first glance, behavior like that of the team leader and the department head appears to be nothing more than annoying misconduct that needs to be stopped quickly – and, in the view of many managers and colleagues, can be stopped by those affected if they are understanding. In fact, however, behind irritating behavior like that described often lies a phenomenon that has only recently come into focus in the workplace: neurodiversity or neurodivergence. This refers to the fact that we all differ to a greater or lesser extent in how we perceive stimuli, process information, and make decisions – because our brains work differently. The term “neurotypical” suggests a supposed norm against which everything else must be measured. But who actually determines what is “normal”? What we perceive as typical is often just an expression of what is held by the majority or more visible – not necessarily what would be more correct, healthier, or more productive. People with neurological abnormalities such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, high sensitivity or giftedness deviate more from the average – but it is precisely in these deviations that enormous potential often lies.
