Neurodiversity is a popular subject at present, but aren’t we all ND? And what value does cognitive diversity bring to a business?
Dr Chris Arnold
Thought Architect. Social Impact Strategist. Public Speaker. Ethical Marketing. Branding. Creativity. Innovation. Ex director Saatchi & Saatchi.
• 15-20% of the global population are Neurodiverse (source WHO).
• 4% of the population are ADHD (Nuffield Health Trust).
• 10% are Dyslexia (BDA).
• 1-2% are Autistic (NAS).
So what is normal, or neuro-typical, anyway?
The idea there is a ‘normal’ is wrong, it’s a mean average. While ND may well be a badge that covers up to 20% of the population, when you look at people through a Psychometric Profiling model, we can divide into many types.
That other 80% are equally as diverse in the way they think. And combine both positive and negative attributes. There is no perfect mindset.
The truth is, we are as diverse in the way our minds work as we look. And it’s only when you look at the bigger picture – different mind types (cognitive diversity) working together – does it all come together.
Instead, we have been led down the road by a narrow and often negative view of a select group of minds under the title of ‘neurodiversity’. Portrayed mostly as weak, dysfunctional, disabled and even subnormal. Rarely as talented, smart and of great ability.
Who wouldn't like an Einstein, Steve Jobs or Richard Branson in their company?
Controversial as this may sound, many in the ND community feel HR has a long way to go and that DE&I is often a tick-box exercise. And that recruiters often sideline ND people.
Maybe because for too long the focus has been on a few negatives, not on the main positives. Especially those that benefit business - innovation creativity, strategy, entrepreneurial, inventiveness, ideation, problem solving, etc.
Maybe we should ask, what is the mindset of those that cultivate this narrow, negative image? The Neurolinears? And why – envy, fear, prejudice? A failure to understand anyone who thinks dimensionally compared to their 2D thinking? Do people who live in a mental box resent those that think outside one?
As a child I was diagnosed as 'Hyperactive' (only later was I also diagnosed as Dyslexic). It sounded like a superpower to my school mates. I slept little, did loads, was highly creative, could process faster but not great at maintaining attention when things were boring.
My 8 year old son has been diagnosed as the same, but now we use a very negative term ADHD - Attention DEFICIT, Hyperactive DISORDER. Tell an 8 year old they have a deficit and disorder and it makes them feel bad, even broken. Whoever coined this disgraceful term wasn’t thinking? Maybe we need a name for people like that, who only see things through a negative lens?
How about ‘Negaviewers’? I estimate about 5% of the population.
In the ND community we prefer Attention Diversity, Hyperactive Dynamic, it’s far more positive and non-judgemental. Some use an alternative term, VAST (Variable Attention Stimulus Trait).
For most people with ADHD our minds are on supercharge, able to take in multiple information, process quickly, join the dots and when we hyperfocus, we can really deliver. As an analogy, think of the legendary Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman, famous for playing 8 keyboards at once. Talent or dysfunctional?
Dyslexic Thinkers (the term is now official) think differently, as highlighted by Steve Jobs (himself dyslexic, as are many like him). We also make up for the biggest sector of ND types.
Most successful entrepreneurs, inventors, creatives, thinkers, problem solvers are usually both - Dyslexic and ADHD. However, you need to be in the range of 'high performing,' not mild or dramatic (which can be disabling).
Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Picasso, Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Leonard di Vinci, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Winston Churchill... the list is long.
Surely, we should have a broader range of terms for ND (aka cognitive diversity), recognising those that think in the opposite way – narrow-minded, linear, process driven, uncreative, unwilling to take risks? We know people like that – good at process but disruptive to progress
How about ‘Stagniminds’? Derived from "stagnant," representing lack of growth, movement, or change. I estimate about 15% of the population.
Of course, we could start adding in other significant mindsets, what about Elon Musk? He’s autistic, ADHD but the one that really stands out, according to his critics, is the fact he displays the behaviour of a Narcissist.
NPD is a common factor among world leaders, CEOs, celebrities, influencers and megalomaniacs like Hitler, Stalin and Genghis Khan. About 2% of the population
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Then there are the Neurotics, who suffer from neurosis, driven by fear, worry, anxiety and over cautious. The type that work in internal legal departments and risk management (though better called the Department of Risk Aversion).
Surprisingly, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Winston Churchill were neurotics. I estimate about 15% (some put it as high as 30%).
Then there are the Gullible. Weak on social intelligence, believes anything they are told (especially online), follows fashionable fads and easily influenced. Estimated to be about 20% of the population based on scams and fads (often younger).
Then there are the Blind Optimists, who always say in any disaster film, “Don’t worry it’ll be ok, we’ll get out of this”. And usually die before the end in a horrible way. Let’s say 2%.
The Adventurers, seeking an adrenaline rush, taking crazy risks and occasionally pulling it off, like YouTuber Mr Beast (aka Jimmy Donaldson). I estimate just 2%.
And finally, the Jobsworth. Boring, dull, and predictable, like a hamster on a hamster wheel, they just do the same stuff day in and out. Simple don't put much thought into thinking Probably 20%.
Ok, some of this is fun but it’s to make an important point, there is no normal vs abnormal. We all think in different ways. What may be normal in one culture or context may be odd in another. Dyslexic thinkers make crap bankers but amazing creatives.
Legendary Apple designer Jonathan Ives pointed out that if he worked in a bank he would have come to nothing, and been seen as disruptive, a maverick. But in the creative, innovative culture of Apple, he thrived.
CONCLUSION - Many of us need to rethink how we think about thinking.
So before you isolate out the 20% of people who are neurodiverse, ask yourself “How do I think?” Am I adopting outdated ideas, unconscious biases, prejudices, making wrong assumptions? See the negatives only. Am I challenge these stereotypes?
Or am I being open minded? Am I seeing the bigger advantages, the talent, over the smaller disadvantages? Am I a positive thinker?
Being successful in business today isn’t just about your technology, smart factories, slick logistics, a funky office culture, a modern brand image, or what AI system you have - it’s still about people and the way they think.
Get the right mix of cognitive diversity and your business will flourish. Fill it with people who all think the same, especially stagnimind thinkers, and you’ll fail.
Think about it…
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#neurodiversity #dyslexia #autism #adhd #vast #nd # neurodivergent #dyslexic
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Portfolio | Non-Executive Director | Consultant | Interim Leader ♦ Strategy | Transformational Change | Operational Excellence | Business Development ♦ SSAFA - The Armed Forces Charity | Changing the Chemistry | N-LAI10
3moAs Dr Chris Arnold says, 20% of people may be classed as 'neurodiverse', but the other 80% are equally as diverse in the way they think. I like the term 'cognitive diversity', which is less loaded but makes the point. Cognitive diversity is essential for consistently good decision-making (you can always get lucky without it, but your luck will eventually run out). The route to a decision may be harder, owing to the competing perspectives that are implied, but the end result will be reliably better. I have included cognitive diversity in teams I have built, knowing that it would make my leadership more difficult, but that it would also make it (and us) more effective. Changing the Chemistry (SCIO) #diversityofthought #cognitivediversity #gooddecisionmaking #effectiveleadership