Lisi Bouchard, Civil Servant and coach, asks what we can learn from neurodiverse leaders.

I am a civil servant, a leadership coach, I am dyslexic and the founder of Neurodiverse Leaders- a website that celebrates the individual stories of neurodiverse leaders. 

This year I have learnt so much about different styles of leadership, the strengths that neurodiversity can bring to leadership, and the importance of telling one's leadership story. I have also had the privilege of interviewing some inspirational leaders and the pleasure of participating in the Civil Service DELTA (Disability Enables Leadership Talent) programme run by Result CIC.

I started to interview neurodiverse leaders in the civil service a year ago. I was frustrated that so much of the debate around neurodiversity was about adjustments and entry to work. These conversations didn't reflect my lived experience of the strengths and challenges of being a leader who is dyslexic; I wanted to widen the debate and find leaders who were neurodiverse and help tell their stories.

I have now conducted 11 in-depth interviews on Neurodiverse Leaders from Deputy Directors in HM Treasury to Partners in law firms, and am delighted to share my most recent interview with Result Marketing Associate, Rob Martin.  

The leaders interviewed spoke with vulnerability and candour about the challenges and advantages that their neurodiversity has brought. These include being able to: 

• see the bigger picture, and use Systems Thinking to understand the complexity of a problem or organisation. Systems Thinking is an approach to problem solving that looks at the wider system, rather than the individual parts and something that nearly all leaders I interviewed described as a strength. One described being able to visualise the illegal drug network within a prison, another being able to understand and shape how decisions are made across the Department for Work and Pensions. Systems Thinking also helped a lawyer understand and guess the outcome of complex legal cases within a few days. 
• bring creative insights, see new options and connections. The leaders spoke about how they did not have neurotypical linear thinking and that this meant that they could ‘see round corners’, were able to brainstorm a wider range of possibilities, and in making wider connections could at times understand that something others had dismissed, could be a risk. 
• reflect on their leadership style, values and strengths. Recognising their different ways of thinking from the neurotypical, means these leaders have spent time reflecting on what it is that they bring to their leadership and how they can best work with others.  
• lead with purpose and clarity. Being really clear about the ‘why’ and driving clarity in the face of ambiguity. This was particularly apparent in the leaders with autism, their ability to find clarity in complex situation both for themselves and their teams, was a key strength and driver of efficiency and, as often mentioned, their duty to those whom they led. 
• lead change with conviction. Change and Crisis management is another area where these leaders had found it easy to flourish. As solution orientated problem solving was more highly valued than social conventions, they described how they above others were able to lead their colleagues towards that goal.
• drive inclusivity. Strong values and a real understanding from lived experience of what exclusion and inclusion mean, has meant that many of these leaders have a passion for inclusivity at the heart of their leadership. A few leaders describe how they innovated hiring practices to bring more neuro inclusivity. 

Where society might tell you that neurodiversity is a disadvantage, time and again these leaders have shown, in a huge variety of ways, how it can be an advantage - not just in their exceptional delivery of their work - but also in how they engage with others and bring them alongside.

My second experience has added to this. I have had the pleasure of participating in DELTA (Disability Empowers Leadership Talent), a leadership programme for Future Leaders in the Civil Service run by Result CIC. This training has been one of the most inspiring courses I have participated in. With skilful management of the space and demonstrating real vulnerability with regard to their own lived experiences, the Result facilitators created a space where the leaders of the civil service have been able to share and acknowledge (sometimes for the first time) how their disability, neurodiversity or health condition shapes their leadership. 

Many of my fellow leaders have spoken about it as being the best part of the Future Leaders Programme, and a moment where they could explore who they really are as a leader and how they integrate their disability, health condition or neurodiversity when leading others. One said to me that she felt she had found her tribe. 

For me personally, this programme has helped me not only to share more widely how my dyslexia impacts my leadership, but also to explore for the first time the challenges and benefits that my health condition brings to my leadership. More than this, journeying with a fantastic group of civil servant leaders, I have been privileged to witness first-hand these leaders wrestling with the challenges they faced and the strength that sharing their story could bring to their leadership. 

So what have I taken from this journey?  

• A richer appreciation of what neurodiversity can mean at leadership levels and the strengths it brings
• An even deeper conviction of the importance of people with diverse and challenging experiences in leadership roles 
• An appreciation of the importance of telling ourselves, our families, team, organisations and communities our stories 

Lisi Bouchard is a Head of Programmes and Sponsorship for Football in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. She is also a practising Coach supporting leaders across the Civil Service. As a leader who is dyslexic, Lisi has interviewed neurodiverse leaders across the private and public sector and created Neurodiverse Leaders - a website to celebrate their stories.