A manager recently told me about a developer on their team. “Brilliant,” they said. “One of our strongest engineers. But quiet in meetings, struggles with deadlines sometimes, and the team doesn’t quite know how to work with them.”
She wasn’t frustrated. She was confused. Because the signals didn’t match.
What she was experiencing is becoming more common in tech teams: working with people who think and operate differently. In other words, leading neurodiverse individuals.
The shift happening in our teams
Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in how people think and process information. It includes conditions like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, but also people without a formal diagnosis who still experience the workplace differently.
And this matters, because diagnosis is not always present, or disclosed. But as leaders, we manage people, not labels.
When the signals are misleading
In engineering teams, we’re used to reading certain behaviors as indicators of performance, like speaking up, communicating proactively, managing time consistently, etc.
But what happens when someone produces great work and at the same time doesn’t fit those signals?
You may see more direct communication, difficulty with prioritization, sensitivity to noise, or a strong need for structure. These are often interpreted as gaps. But many times, they are simply differences.
The environment is often the problem
Modern workplaces, especially in tech, can create unnecessary friction like constant interruptions, unclear expectations, shifting priorities, and heavy reliance on implicit communication. For some people, that’s manageable. For others, it’s simply overwhelming.
Add to this the fact that neurodiverse individuals are significantly more likely to experience anxiety and other psychiatric issues, and what looks like inconsistency can actually be someone navigating a system that wasn’t designed with them in mind.
What better leadership looks like
Supporting neurodiversity is not about special treatment but about better management. Focusing on clarity becomes essential. Being explicit about expectations, priorities, and outcomes removes guesswork.
Flexibility becomes a performance tool. Not everyone works best in the same way, and rigid structures can limit output.
And perhaps most importantly, leaders need to shift from judgment to curiosity. Instead of asking “what’s wrong?”, ask “what does this person need to do their best work?”
Organizations that embrace this approach, like Dell and IBM to name a few, are already seeing the impact on innovation and performance.
The manager’s role and its limits
As a manager, your role is to create the conditions for success, not to diagnose people.
That means listening, being informed, and guiding people toward professional support when needed. It also means continuing to build your own skills. Most of us were never taught how to support someone dealing with anxiety, time management challenges, or setbacks. But we can learn.
When your team meets the outside world
Even if you build an inclusive environment internally, your team doesn’t work in isolation. Clients and stakeholders may not share the same understanding of neurodiversity. What is normal inside your team can be misinterpreted outside of it. Direct communication could be seen as rudeness, quiet participation as disengagement and so forth.
Part of your role as a leader is managing that interface. That might mean setting expectations with clients, providing context when needed, or supporting your team in navigating those interactions, coaching them when possible but without asking them to fundamentally change who they are. Because inclusion doesn’t stop at the team boundary.
When neurodivergence impacts performance
Here’s the nuance. Many performance issues are actually mismatches between the person and the environment. When you improve clarity, structure, and flexibility, performance often improves. But not always.
Supporting neurodiversity does not mean lowering expectations. It means making them clear, fair, and achievable. If favorable conditions are in place and performance is still not there, this needs to be addressed just as it would for anyone else. With empathy, but also with accountability.
A final thought
Neurodiversity is not an edge case anymore. It’s part of the reality of modern teams.
And the leaders who learn to work with it, rather than against it, will not only build more inclusive teams; they will build better ones.
TO LEARN MORE:
https://ctrinstitute.com/blog/5-ways-you-can-support-neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/
https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2024/05/how-to-effectively-support-neurodiverse-people-in-the-workplace/
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/08/neurodiversity-how-to-create-inclusive-leadership-team/
https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/autism/autism-at-work
https://ctrinstitute.com/blog/5-ways-you-can-support-neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/
https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2024/05/how-to-effectively-support-neurodiverse-people-in-the-workplace/
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/08/neurodiversity-how-to-create-inclusive-leadership-team/
https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/autism/autism-at-work
