Neurodiversity at work: How leaders can move from awareness to action

In our last blog, we explored why DE&I is about far more than just box-ticking, and how curiosity, culture, and systemic thinking are key to building truly inclusive, high-performing organisations.

This week, we turn our focus to neurodiversity. This is a dimension of DE&I that can go unseen, but which has a profound impact on team performance, innovation, and engagement.

Neurodiversity refers to differences in thinking, processing, and perceiving the world. It includes conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette's syndrome. In the UK, an estimated 15% of the population is neurodivergent, meaning it is highly likely that most teams already include individuals who think and process differently (even if they don’t have a formal diagnosis).

For many neurodivergent employees, the workplace can be a place of quiet, constant struggle. Tasks that seem straightforward to others may feel monumental. Over time, many develop strategies to mask their differences-hiding challenges, adapting behaviour, or avoiding opportunities to fit in. This effort is exhausting and often invisible, and it comes at a cost: energy drain, burnout, and disengagement. And, a need to mask differences can also reinforce a narrative of "What's wrong with me?", undermining confidence and wellbeing.

Why neurodiversity matters

Supporting neurodivergent employees isn’t just a matter of ethics, it’s strategically critical. Organisations that fail to create inclusive environments risk missing out on innovative ideas and problem-solving approaches, limiting access to talent and unique cognitive abilities, and reducing engagement while increasing turnover.

A 2023 Birkbeck study of nearly 1,000 neurodivergent employees and over 100 employers found that neurodivergent staff consistently identify strengths such as hyperfocus (80%), creativity (78%), and innovative thinking (68%). However many neurodiverse people still struggle to have these contributions adequately recognised in the workplace.

Yet businesses that embrace neurodiversity by adopting a culture of curiosity, backed by systemic support, can unlock potential and performance, and drive innovation. Neurodivergent individuals, for example, often spot risks, recognise patterns, and generate creative solutions that others might overlook. These contributions benefit not only the individual teams but also the organisation as a whole. In fact, according to Acas research, one business found that in incorporating neuro-inclusion proactivity, staff turnover fell from 34% to 8%.

From awareness to action: Practical leadership steps

Creating a neuro-inclusive workplace is about more than policy. It requires culture, mindset, and deliberate actions. Leaders can start by focusing on three key areas:

1. 1. Build psychological safety

Psychological safety is the foundation for inclusion. Employees need to feel safe enough to be authentic, ask for what they need, and share ideas without fear of judgment. Without it, masking persists, preventing individuals from fully contributing. Employees may worry about being seen as different or difficult to work with, and these fears often stop them from speaking up. The Birkbeck study found that 65% of neurodiverse employees worry about stigma from management, and 55% worry about colleagues’ perception.

A common pitfall is a kind of dismissive validation. For example, responding with "I'm like that too sometimes". While well-meaning, this can devalue the employee's lived experience, whose challenges may be far more frequent or intense. True psychological safety involves listening to understand, validating experiences, and partnering to find solutions that work for both the individual and the organisation.

2. 2. Foster curiosity and diverse thinking

As we touched on in our previous blog, curiosity remains a key tool for inclusion. Leaders who actively model curiosity create an environment where different perspectives are noticed, valued, and acted upon. This is especially important for neurodiverse staff, whose ideas or approaches may initially seem unconventional or harder to communicate within traditional systems. By asking “What else might we be missing?” and creating opportunities for playful, abstract, or future-oriented exercises, leaders signal that diverse ways of thinking are welcome.

These exercises (whether creative games, hypothetical scenarios, or role reversals) can help provide a space where unique cognitive strengths can emerge naturally. In this way, fostering curiosity doesn’t just encourage innovation broadly; it actively removes barriers for neurodiverse individuals to be seen, heard, and valued, turning difference into organisational advantage. The Birkbeck study highlighted that employees who experienced tailored, supportive approaches were nearly three times more likely to want to stay than those without this support.

3. 3. Rethink roles, team structures, and practices

Many organisations operate with rigid roles that fail to leverage diverse strengths. Leaders can shift from expecting individuals to conform to systems, to designing flexible teams and tasks based on capabilities. Just some of the practical adjustments suggested by expert bodies include:

• Sensory-friendly workspaces, such as quiet areas, adjustable lighting, or noise-cancelling options
• Accessible recruitment practices, e.g., providing questions in advance or using work-sample assessments
• Creating an open and supportive culture by raising awareness of neurodiversity among all staff
• Flexible working hours or hybrid schedules to manage energy and focus

Importantly, formal diagnosis is not required for leaders to respond to observed patterns or create support.

Unlocking neurodivergent strengths

When supported in the right environment, neurodivergent employees can bring distinctive cognitive capabilities to their teams: spotting patterns and risks others might miss, focusing intensely on complex problems, and communicating insights in ways that drive understanding and action. These are not “superpowers” to romanticise of course. Instead, they are practical ways of thinking that, when nurtured, generate measurable value for teams and organisations alike.

The opportunity for leaders is clear: by moving beyond policy and numbers, and instead fostering psychological safety, curiosity, and flexible systems, organisations can unlock this potential. Supporting neurodivergent employees isn’t just about fairness. It’s about creating workplaces that are more innovative, resilient, and adaptive. Leaders who take action now will not only retain and develop talent but also transform difference into a strategic advantage that benefits everyone.

If you want to learn more about unlocking the potential of neurodivergent employees, get in touch to discuss strategies that can turn neurodiversity from awareness into action.