The Future of Work: Leading with Neurodiversity

By Sam O'Donovan and Dr Martha Phillips

In today’s fast-evolving business world, everyone’s talking about diversity. And sure, diversity is one aspect that can spark creativity and drive better decision-making, but there’s a key part of this conversation that’s often missed: neurodiversity.

Neurodivergent individuals—those with conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia—offer different strengths and skills which can make them well-suited to leadership roles. However, businesses are often too quick to view neurodiverse employees as needing help rather than recognising their strengths. As a business community, we need to stop viewing neurodivergence as something to be merely accommodated and create an environment where neurodiverse employees can thrive and move forward into leadership roles.

We know firsthand that organisations that support neurodiverse people in leadership roles will have a competitive edge. We interviewed Sam O'Donovan, AXA Global Healthcare’s Chief People Officer who has worked for years in fostering diversity in corporate leadership, and Dr Martha Phillips, who’s not only a Risk Director at AXA Health but also a neurodiverse leader living with autism.

How Neurodiverse Strengths Can Revolutionise Leadership

We’ve come a long way, but most of the time, discussions around neurodiversity focus on accommodation—on what people need to “get by” – overlooking the strengths neurodiverse individuals can bring to leadership roles.

“That’s the wrong way to think about it. What if, instead, we started celebrating neurodiverse employees for their unique talents?” says Sam. “Some studies have even shown that neurodiverse teams can be up to 30% more productive than their neurotypical peers. We need to adapt to an individual’s needs to harness their unique abilities like lateral thinking and creative problem-solving.”

Sam points out, “Neurodivergent leaders bring fresh perspectives and ideas, pattern recognition abilities and see connections between things that others often don’t, making them fantastic problem solvers. Also, they can think critically and abstractly, challenge norms and offer valuable input to strategy development.”

These unique abilities can make neurodivergent individuals well-suited to leadership roles but risk being held back in corporate environments if overlooked.

The Real Challenges for Neurodiverse Leaders

Let’s be real: it’s not easy for neurodiverse leaders to thrive in a world designed for neurotypical people. Corporate environments that rely on verbal communication, sensory overload, and rigid routines are tough for anyone, let alone leaders whose brains are wired differently.

“I’ve been there,” says Dr Phillips. “I spent so many years feeling overwhelmed in meetings, trying to keep up with the pace of information being thrown around, only to find out later that this struggle was connected to my autism diagnosis. On top of that, managing energy levels was a constant uphill battle.”

It’s not about giving neurodivergent leaders “special treatment.” It’s about building an inclusive environment where they can lead effectively. As Sam points out, “Businesses that can adapt to their leaders’ unique strengths are the ones that thrive. The numbers don’t lie—companies with more diversity are 36% more likely to outperform their competitors financially.”

Empathy-Led Leadership: The Businesses Role

Here’s where things get tricky. Most organisations already have a lot on their plates, and now we’re asking them to do more by adapting to neurodiverse leadership styles. It’s easy to see why that might be daunting, but the truth is, empathy-led leadership is the key to success here.

It starts with understanding what neurodivergent employees need and opening up a dialogue to help them take the next step into leadership. “This isn’t just a nice-to-have skill,” says Sam. “This is critical. When managers are trained to understand and appreciate the strengths of neurodivergent team members, we see dramatic improvements in both productivity and innovation.”

There’s plenty of research to back this up. Companies with inclusive cultures are not only more innovative—they’re six times more likely to be industry leaders, according to research from Deloitte. If managers take the time to understand the unique perspectives neurodivergent employees bring, the payoff is huge.

Turning Awareness into Action

It’s not enough to talk about the potential of neurodiverse leaders. Businesses need to act. The world is changing, and the future of leadership is diverse.

Poor mental health and a lack of support for neurodiverse individuals currently cost the global economy a staggering $1 trillion in lost productivity each year as data shows. Imagine how much more we could accomplish if we empowered neurodivergent leaders instead of holding them back.

“The companies that will lead tomorrow are the ones celebrating neurodiversity today,” says Sam.

The message is clear: creating inclusive environments isn’t just a moral responsibility—it’s a strategic advantage. Neurodiverse leaders bring fresh perspectives that challenge conventional wisdom and drive real innovation.

About the author

Sam O’Donovan, Chief People Officer at AXA Global Healthcare, and Dr. Martha Phillips, Risk Director at AXA Health, bring decades of expertise in global healthcare and UK health and wellbeing. Together, they represent AXA’s commitment to protecting the medical needs of expatriates, businesses, and globally mobile people worldwide.