Some even argue that ADHD doesn't exist at all. However, one thing that is indisputable is that there is an abundance of highly successful people with ADHD.
People living with ADHD may have a variety of skills and abilities beyond those of their neurotypical counterparts. These may include hyperfocus, resilience, creativity, conversational skills, spontaneity, and abundant energy.
Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Richard Branson, IKEA founder and chairman Ingvar Kamprad, Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, Cisco Systems CEO John T. Chambers, Jim Carrey and Howie Mandel all have ADHD.
Leaders with ADHD are great at seeing the big picture but struggle to break things down into smaller sub-tasks. ADHD leaders can move quickly but struggle to plod through the mundane. In this way, using your ADHD to brainstorm and leave details to your team may be a winning combination.
Some adults with ADHD have very successful careers. Others may struggle with a variety of challenges, including poor communication skills, distractibility, procrastination and difficulty managing complex projects.
Bill Gates the co-founder of Microsoft is known to have ADHD and has admitted to struggling with ADHD symptoms. He's also one of the wealthiest people in the world.
“I have ADHD. Can I become a doctor?” Yes. Despite the stigma that still surrounds Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other learning difficulties, those with such afflictions can become highly competent and successful physicians.
While living with ADHD can be challenging, treatment and lifestyle changes can help manage difficult symptoms for overall well-being.
Why Are There So Many Successful People with ADHD? It is known that people with ADHD have specific strengths, as a result of their brain functioning difference. They are more spontaneous, creative, energetic, intuitive, imaginative, and inventive.
“The ADHD brain is a superpower brain,” says Yamalis Diaz, PhD, psychologist at NYU Langone Health. “There are some very real strengths to the ADHD brain.” Yes, there are challenges, but finding ways to cope with your weaknesses and maximize your strengths can make all the difference in thriving with ADHD.
There are many successful CEOs who have ADHD. Some of these individuals include Indra Nooyi from PepsiCo, Howard Schultz from Starbucks, and Alan Mulally from Ford.
an interest-based nervous system (motivated by what's compelling enough to get activated). He refers to the five motivating factors with the acronym INCUP: interest, novelty, challenge, urgency, and passion.
One national survey showed that only half of adults with ADHD were able to hold down a full-time job, compared to 72% of adults without the disorder. When they were able to secure a job, they tended to earn less than their peers without it. Those job problems translate into nearly $77 billion in lost income each year.
Distractibility, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity
People with ADHD have a hard time staying in the moment, predicting the outcomes of their current actions, and learning from past experiences. Their impulsive behavior often makes them risk without thinking. Their hyperactive minds keep switching from one task to another.
12 Since persistent functional impairments such as poor organizational and time management skills, difficulty with note-taking, reading comprehension & written expression constitute a permanent disability, ADHD clearly qualifies as such.
ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to impact the individual in many aspects of their life including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning (Harpin, 2005).
ADHD: a disabling condition
It is recognized as a disability under the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.
People with ADHD change jobs frequently — often impulsively — and are more likely to be fired, to miss work, and to have troubled relationships with co-workers. It doesn't have to be that way: Adults with ADHD frequently excel in the workplace, once they adapt to their disability and develop coping skills.
Is there a link between entrepreneurship and ADHD? Several studies have connected ADHD and “entrepreneurial intention,” 1 2 and some have found significant associations between ADHD and self-employment3. Hyperactivity, according to some research, may be the ADHD symptom most closely tied to entrepreneurship.
Barkley, PhD. “Children diagnosed with ADHD are not likely to grow out of it. And while some children may recover fully from their disorder by age 21 or 27, the full disorder or at least significant symptoms and impairment persist in 50-86 percent of cases diagnosed in childhood.
It's easy for someone with ADHD to become bored at work or find sudden interest in a major career change. When this happens, you may engage in what's called ADHD job-hopping. An individual with ADHD is more likely to quit their job impulsively and be more likely to be fired.