Leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. Still, those who don’t fit the conventional mold of what leadership is supposed to look like often find themselves sidelined in the leadership conversation.
For many autistic people, this has been their experience.
But neurodivergent folk, including autistic people, are known to be some of the most powerful and innovative thinkers. And according to Julie Landry, PsyD, board-certified clinical psychologist and co-founder of NeuroSpark Health, there is “enormous untapped potential there” for businesses who want to thrive in the fast-paced modern world.
With the right understanding and support, autistic people can emerge as innovative, inspiring and revolutionary leaders.
How autistic people bring unique strengths to leadership
Research has shown that neurodiverse teams often outpace others in productivity. And it’s no coincidence. Neurodiverse people, including autistic people, are wired to think differently, often approaching things like communication, problem-solving and team building in unconventional ways. And when it comes to leadership, out-of-the-box thinking can be a powerful force for driving productivity, collaboration and breakthrough ideas.
Problem-solving through pattern recognition
Many autistic people have the unique ability to spot problems and patterns where others may miss them. Often, they’re able to quickly synthesize issues to find strategic and efficient solutions. For Julie Bjelland, founder and CEO of Sensitive Empowerment, Inc., this ability has been key to problem-solving in the workplace.
“I have a natural ability to see patterns, think systemically and tune into what people need,” she says. “This allows me to go beyond surface-level challenges and address the root causes. I’m always looking at how a space’s emotional, structural and sensory aspects interact, so I can build supportive environments where people feel held with care and compassion.”
Veronica Shelton, co-founder of Oak Theory who was diagnosed autistic in the second grade, also attributes much of her leadership success to this strategic way of thinking. “Because my brain is wired to break things down, find the root cause and strategize solutions quickly, I don’t get stuck in panic mode,” she says.
For Shelton, everything fell into place when she realized her autism could be a powerful tool for leadership, rather than a setback. “Autism wasn’t something I had to work against,” she says. “It was the reason I noticed what others missed. It was the reason I could build systems out of chaos. It was the reason I could lead differently.”
Direct communication
For many autistic people, conventional styles of communication can be difficult.
Shea Belsky, a tech lead at HubSpot, recalls struggling with communication early on in his career. “I historically have had issues communicating with people in the past… being able to express my thoughts in ways that make sense to others,” he says.
The difficulty became a driving force in developing clear and effective communication skills. “I had to learn [how to] explain and articulate things in ways that made sense. And because I have had to overemphasize and over-index on that skill, I now think that… I’m very good at it,” he adds.
With Gen Z and millennials increasingly valuing honesty, transparency and direct communication in their leaders, this skill could be a game-changer for companies focused on building strong teams.
“Because of my autism, I am conscious and focused on making sure that when I talk to people, that I’m making sense, that they can understand me. And I take a lot of pride and care in doing that,” Belsky says.
“People rally around me at work, because I am able to articulate and explain things in ways that make sense to them.”
Authenticity over image
Bjelland says that autistic leadership often centers around authenticity and purpose over performance. “Many of us are not interested in power or appearances,” she says.
Instead, she says autistic leaders tend to be driven by integrity and a desire to make positive changes, stemming in part from living in the shadows of a neurotypical world. “Because so many of us have had to navigate life feeling different, we’re deeply attuned to the needs of others who are also on the margins,” Bjelland says. “That awareness helps us build safer, more inclusive spaces.”
Landry, says that this quality in a leader can be refreshing. “[When] you’re reporting to a leader who is autistic, [you know] that you’re going to get the truth, that you’re going to get the real picture of things, that you don’t have to try to interpret what somebody means or what the implied message is,” she says. “It’s going to feel great.”
Leading with empathy
One pervasive misconception is that all autistic people lack empathy. This, Landry stresses, could not be further from the truth.
“Most autistics are profoundly empathic to such an extent that they have a hard time with it,” she says. “They struggle with hearing about anyone being treated unfairly.”
With that empathy comes a profound awareness of other people’s experiences and emotions, as well as an ability to connect with team members in ways neurotypical people may not be able to. “Most of us are so good at pattern recognition that we can immediately spot when something is off,” Landry adds.
Shelton describes a similar experience. “I can pick up on the subtle shifts in behavior and environments that others might miss, and that helps me navigate leadership and honestly life in general in a really intuitive way,” she says.
With emotional intelligence rising in importance in the workplace, this type of deep empathy will be key for businesses going forward.
Reductive stereotypes have led to overlooked potential
Autism is one of the most widely misunderstood neurotypes. Due to limited representation in media and outdated information focused on a narrow group of people, many autistics have found themselves pigeonholed into a reductive stereotype. In reality, autism encompasses a wide array of experience, capabilities and needs.
“It doesn’t mean that I don’t share similar experiences or problems or struggles with other people who are autistic,” Belsky says. “But we don’t all have the exact same set of challenges or strengths or weaknesses or really strong areas. Everybody’s needs are a little bit different.”
And if businesses want to tap into the potential of autistic leadership, they need to remember that autism doesn’t only look one way.
As Belsky puts it, “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.”
Meeting the needs of autistic people in the workplace
In Bjelland’s view, one of the most powerful ways to support autistic people is to move away from a singular model of productivity. “Instead, we should ask what someone needs to feel their best and be open to different ways of accomplishing goals,” she says.
And while it can be tempting to view all that autistic leaders can do as “superpowers,” Belsky cautions against this thinking. “It’s not as simple and black-and-white [as] saying neurodiversity is a superpower, because what goes along with that is an individual’s support needs, what accommodations they need, the emotional safety to unlock an individual’s ability to be awesome and great at their work,” he says.
“It could only approach the level of being a superpower if an autistic individual has the right level of comfort and the right support.”
He encourages workplaces to train staff on neurodiversity and communicate with autistic employees to understand and ensure they have what they need to thrive.
Bjelland agrees. “If we want more inclusive, compassionate leadership, we need to make space for autistic voices. We need to change the systems, not the people. When we stop pathologizing difference and start embracing it, we open the door to a more just, creative, innovative and connected future.”
Grass grows where you water it, and when businesses can offer the support that autistic people need to flourish in leadership and the workplace, everyone benefits.
Like Shelton says, “The world doesn’t just need more leaders, it needs more leaders who think differently.”
Photo by ljubaphoto/iStock.com
