Find a therapist to help with autism

Autism stereotypes may not include leadership, but the reality is different.

Autistic leaders not only exist, but in organizations that welcome different types of talent, they thrive.

Autistic changemakers lead in formal organizational leadership roles or in community action.

“I want to be a better leader to autistic people.” “I want to know how to manage autistic workers.”

“I want to be a better leader to autistic people.”

“I want to know how to manage autistic workers.”

When I started teaching and presenting on neurodiversity inclusion in the workplace, I kept seeing this statement as the reason for attendees’ interest in my workshops. That statement did not just come from CEOs and managers. It just as often came from early career professionals in their first positions and from college students—people who had not yet managed anyone in their careers.

A few wanted to know how to be better peers and allies. Nobody ever wondered how to best support an autistic leader.

And yet, autistic leaders not only exist, but in organizations that welcome different types of talent, they thrive.

Philips, a healthcare technology company headquartered in Amsterdam, has a more-than-130-year history of commitment to innovation. It is also a company that appreciates and supports neurodivergent talent and neurodivergent leadership.

Autistic leaders, in their own words

For example, Ben Gorissen built a 35-year career with Philips; he is currently the product safety risk management leader for MRI Systems. For most of this time, he was undiagnosed and struggled with sensory overwhelm and making transitions. The autism diagnosis helped him get the clarity and support he needed and to further develop as a leader. But he was not expected to change his way of being: He feels accepted as he is, authentically. Gorissen also believes that, in some ways, his autistic traits make him a more effective leader:

“Because of my personal need for order, I have always been keen to put structure in place when I started in a new role. This has helped me create focus and clarity for others as well, making me a more effective leader and colleague.”

“Because of my personal need for order, I have always been keen to put structure in place when I started in a new role. This has helped me create focus and clarity for others as well, making me a more effective leader and colleague.”

Unfortunately, there are not enough companies like Philips. In most organizations, neurodivergent leaders struggle mightily to do their best and to be who they are.

Autistic leader Justin Donne worked in the United Kingdom for governmental organizations and in continental Europe for private companies like Disneyland in Paris. He served on many boards as well. But others thought he was “too much.” He accomplished in hours what would take his colleagues days. So, he was told he was too fast and needed to slow down. Oh, and stop being so erudite in his emails.

In one of his roles, Justin broke organizational records for key performance indicators, facilitated fundraising windfalls, and developed award-winning programs. Then, he was placed under a micromanager who wanted to control everything Justin did and how he did it. That was the end of Justin’s career with that organization and the end of the organization’s record of success.

Such perceptions have been stumbling blocks for many neurodivergent careers. Some advisers suggest that if neurodivergent performers want to succeed, they should put on a mask, moderate their “spiky” performance, hold back to be more “average,” and project the expected “persona.”

But if we conform to the expectations of biased systems, how do we make these systems better? If there are no examples of autistic leaders doing their best, how can we hope to change stereotypes?

Find a therapist to help with autism

Despite neuroableism, stereotypes, and work environments not designed for autistic thriving, autistic leaders continue to do their work with commitment to excellence and authenticity.

Kelly Bron Johnson, an autistic and hard-of-hearing inclusion professional from Montreal, developed her leadership approach with the focus of staying true to herself:

"My own approach is to help others understand that we might lead differently, but we’re still leading. I am happy to 'lead from behind,' so to speak, and let others shine. I feel it’s important that whatever style of leadership you choose, it has to be authentic to you and your nature. Don’t try to work in ways that aren’t authentic. The rest of the world can judge me as they please, but I am true to myself and can sleep at night. And eventually people pick up on my authenticity, how genuine and passionate I am, and they trust that and want to work with me *because* of those traits.”

"My own approach is to help others understand that we might lead differently, but we’re still leading. I am happy to 'lead from behind,' so to speak, and let others shine. I feel it’s important that whatever style of leadership you choose, it has to be authentic to you and your nature. Don’t try to work in ways that aren’t authentic. The rest of the world can judge me as they please, but I am true to myself and can sleep at night. And eventually people pick up on my authenticity, how genuine and passionate I am, and they trust that and want to work with me *because* of those traits.”

Everyday changemaking

Leading while autistic can be excruciatingly hard. Yet many are making a difference, whether in formal organizational leadership roles or in community leadership.

Siena Castellon was a high school student in the United Kingdom when, in 2018, she founded Neurodiversity Celebration Week to focus not just on the struggles but also on the talents and strengths of neurodivergent people. Since then, Neurodiversity Celebration Week has become a tradition all over the world, helping correct misconceptions and advancing more equitable cultures not just at schools but also across many contexts.

In 2021, an international group of nonspeaking autistics took part in the short educational film "Listen" to help challenge stereotypes about the widely misunderstood nonspeaking communities.

We influence the world every day, whether we know it or not, whether we expect it or not. We lead and make a positive difference, whether we match others’ stereotypes of what a leader “looks like” or not.

This post is adapted from my book, The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work.

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