Neurodiversity at Work: Beyond Labels to Belonging with Mariane Power
Do leaders need to know who is neurodivergent before they can lead more inclusively?
I’m joined by Mariane Power, a behavioural scientist and former clinical psychologist whose work sits at the intersection of neurodiversity and leadership. Mariane works with neurodivergent founders and executives, workplace and government teams, and elite sport. She is also the creator of Master Your Magic and host of the Jagged Brilliance series.
Many leaders want to create a more neuroinclusive workplace, but are unsure where to begin. They may be worried about using the wrong language, making assumptions or asking people to disclose something they would rather keep private.
Mariane brings a thoughtful and practical perspective to those questions. We look at what leaders can do without knowing anyone’s diagnosis, why the day-to-day experience of work matters as much as policy, and how to make space for different ways of thinking and working.
We also get into one of the harder tensions in this space: how leaders can offer flexibility and support while still having honest conversations about expectations, feedback and accountability.
In this episode, we cover:
What neuroinclusive leadership means beyond labels and formal accommodations
Why some people choose not to disclose their neurodivergence at work
What leaders can ask instead of making assumptions about what someone needs
How psychological safety shapes people’s experience of inclusion
What universal design can teach us about creating better workplaces
The opportunities and challenges facing neurodivergent leaders
How flexibility, feedback and accountability can sit alongside one another Neal’s message is not that leaders will never overthink or react defensively. It is that we can notice it sooner, manage ourselves more deliberately and stop giving away so much time.
I wanted to ask Mariane some of the questions leaders may be thinking but feel nervous to ask. What if someone does not want to disclose? What if a leader gets the language wrong? And what happens when a request for flexibility begins to affect the role, the team or the work? Mariane does not reduce these questions to easy answers. She gives leaders a more useful place to start.
If you are thinking about neurodiversity in your team, or wondering whether your workplace genuinely works for different minds, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who is part of that conversation.
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