by Susan Mackay

In this year’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week it’s great to see so many positive conversations about the value of neurodiversity, yet there is always a risk that we reinforce a narrative of difference – “us versus them.”  While it’s critical to acknowledge the everyday challenges that many neuro minority individuals face, I believe it’s time to reframe the conversation entirely.

Like biodiversity, neurodiversity is a vital characteristic of human populations, evolved over time to maximize our survival. “Neurodiversity” describes the natural variations in the human brain, including traits classified as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, as well as giftedness, and high potential. Increasingly, we are coming to understand that these differences are not, in fact, aberrations but natural variations. And just as ecosystems thrive through biological diversity, rather than categorizing individuals into simplistic boxes of “typical” and “atypical,” only by embracing the full range of human cognitive and neurological diversity can we unlock our collective potential.

In our societies today, too many neuro minorities face discrimination in ways that damage their self-esteem, identity, and opportunities. Often its a lack of awareness and understanding that drives many of these lived experiences, limiting potential and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Such experiences can cause deep injuries to individuals, but they also hurt society at large.

At the same time, some advocates celebrate neurodivergent traits as “superpowers,” but this terminology can also be divisive. For many within the neurominority community the notion of “superpowers” only creates further pressure, and misunderstandings. I believe it’s also time to reframe not only the existence of extraordinary abilities but also our understanding of what constitutes a “superpower.” So rather than associating this idea only with conventional measures of exceptional cognitive skills, artistic and athletic abilities, why don’t we redefine superpowers to include traits such as kindness, empathy, sensitivity, honesty, and justice sensitivity? These strengths – often abundant in neuro minority communities – could even turn out to be the most valuable resources to address the challenges we’re faced with today.

The more I work with teams as a professional coach, the more I’m convinced that harnessing cognitive diversity is the next frontier for making human progress. Evidence shows that diverse teams outperform more homogenous groups, achieve higher productivity, enhanced innovation, and improved problem-solving. Indeed, effective collaborative teams consistently achieve significantly higher performance than those with less diversity and poorer collaboration dynamics. Organizations prioritizing inclusive, diverse teamwork are up to five times more likely to achieve high performance than those that do not.

Evidence also shows that teams that embrace a wide range of cognitive styles and experiences are better equipped to handle complex challenges, adapt to change, and innovate creatively. With appropriate support, such teams frequently display heightened psychological safety, stronger trust, and better communication, creating supportive environments where individuals can contribute without fear of judgment or exclusion.

Of course, we can’t create genuinely inclusive environments unless we shift mindsets and social attitudes in education and workplaces and provide real time practical adjustments and support. Given the high burnout rates in the modern workplace its long overdue to redesign our schools, workplaces, systems, and policies to accommodate a much wider range of cognitive needs. And if we do, everyone stands to benefit. At the same time we must also create cultures of tolerance and understanding where curiosity, empathy, kindness and respect are the order of the day. We also need to improve our communication, and build skills to manage any disagreements or conflicts that will inevitably arise. Most of all, we must move beyond “tokenism” to create spaces where everyone feels welcome, valued, and that they belong.

So in the midst of this awful global turmoil, is it time to look beyond what divides us to embrace humanity in all its messy complexity? After all, each of us has unique and invaluable strengths – our very own “superpowers” – to bring.

And if we do have the courage to create spaces where diverse and unique strengths are rfully ecognized and celebrated, we might just unlock the problem solving skills we need to guide humanity toward a more compassionate, hopeful, and resilient future.

References

Rock, D., & Grant, H. (2016, November 4). Why diverse teams are smarter. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-diverse-teams-are-smarter

Clark, T. R. (2022). High-performing teams need psychological safety. LeaderFactor. https://www.leaderfactor.com/learn/high-performing-teams-psychological-safety

Baghai, M. (2023, August 16). The power of diversity and inclusion: Driving innovation and success. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/08/16/the-power-of-diversity-and-inclusion-driving-innovation-and-success/

California Society of CPAs. (2023). Thriving workplaces: Creating inclusive and supportive work environments. California CPA Magazine. https://www.calcpa.org/whats-happening/california-cpa-magazine/thriving-workplaces

Thriving Talent. (2023). Why psychological safety matters in diversity & inclusion. https://www.thrivingtalent.solutions/blog/why-psychological-safety-matters-in-diversity-inclusion