You never know when a conversation will hit deeper than expected. This one started casually a comment in a WhatsApp group, a few thoughts shared, and suddenly we were neck-deep in team dynamics, neurodiversity, and what it really means to build resilient, future-ready teams.

I wasn’t planning on writing about it. But it stuck with me probably because it reflected a lot of my own journey navigating ADHD, low latent inhibition, leadership, and entrepreneurship in a world that’s still catching up to the idea that “different” doesn’t mean “difficult.”

So here it is: a reflection sparked by an unexpected but meaningful conversation about the humans behind the systems.

Leaders Set the Weather

One of the first themes we touched on was leadership not as authority, but as atmosphere.

Leaders don’t just set goals. They set tone. Temperature. Emotional bandwidth. Psychological safety.

It’s not about whether you say “bring your full self to work.” It’s about whether people feel like they can speak up, challenge ideas, ask “dumb” questions, or say, “I’m struggling,” without fear of subtle punishment or being side-lined.

And that’s not something you delegate to HR. That’s on you in what you tolerate, what you model, and what you reward.

Cognitive Range > Raw Intelligence

We dove into cognitive range the spectrum of how people think, not just what they know. And for someone like me, living with ADHD and low latent inhibition (meaning my brain doesn’t filter out the “irrelevant” stuff), this was home turf.

Some people are analytical. Some intuitive. Some dive deep into single disciplines, others fly wide across multiple domains. Then you get the rare ones who do both — the synthesizers who connect dots that others don’t even see.

Cognitive range isn’t just about intelligence. It’s about adaptability, pattern recognition, perspective-shifting — things that matter even more when the problems you’re facing aren’t in the manual.

And the more range a team has, the more likely it is to innovate, not just execute.

Culture Add vs Culture Fit

We chatted about hiring. I mentioned “culture add” instead of “culture fit.” He asked “Isn’t that just diversity?”

Short answer? Yes… but with depth.

It’s not just about demographic diversity (though that matters too). It’s about difference in thinking, pacing, pressure responses, and processing. Some people are challenge-driven. Others are harmony-driven. Some confront. Others reframe.

Culture fit asks, “Do they blend in?”

Culture add asks, “Do they stretch us in a good way?”

That’s what I want more of in every team.

Neurodivergent Minds: Hard to Work With?

Then came a real question: “Aren’t neurodivergent people hard to work with?”

Honest question. And an important one.

The truth is yes, if the environment isn’t built to accommodate different styles of thinking and processing, it can feel hard. But the difficulty doesn’t lie in the person. It lies in the system.

When teams aren’t used to difference, friction feels threatening. But when psychological safety is present when roles are clear, strengths are known, and space is made for each brain to thrive neurodivergent thinkers often become the ones who spot blind spots, question assumptions, and break new ground.

They might not “blend in,” but that’s kind of the point.

Conflict Is Not the Enemy

A highlight from the chat: “Team conflict is a necessary ingredient for cohesion — if it’s managed well.”

Couldn’t agree more.

Unmanaged conflict burns bridges. But managed conflict builds trust. It shows people care enough to challenge ideas instead of checking out.

Like fire left wild, it destroys. Controlled and used wisely, it warms and transforms.

When conflict is reframed as engagement not attack it becomes a crucible for real alignment. And that requires leaders who don’t just avoid tension, but hold it with maturity.

Systems Thinking Isn’t Just for Tech

My conversation partner mentioned that systems thinking is close to his heart. Same here but not just in tech or process design.

The real magic is when you apply systems thinking to teams.

Teams are systems. Emotions are feedback loops. Unspoken norms are hidden variables. Conflicts are pressure valves.

And if you can map how people interact cognitively, emotionally, relationally you start to see not just what is happening, but why. That’s when your leadership moves from reactive to adaptive.

Living With ADHD (And Designing Around It)

Somewhere along the way I shared my own toolkit for navigating ADHD and low latent inhibition. It’s not a perfect system more like a working experiment in progress.

• Caffeine to boost clarity

• Functional mushrooms (like lion’s mane and cordyceps)

• Daily movement, even if it’s just a walk

• An anti-inflammatory diet to reduce the mental fog

• Delegating friction-heavy tasks to those who thrive in them

• And above all, designing my life around how my brain works not how “normal” brains do

I’ve learned ADHD isn’t a flaw. It’s just a different OS. And once you stop fighting the system and start supporting it, that’s when it becomes a gift, not a grind.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t expect a WhatsApp chat to turn into a deep reflection on leadership, diversity of thought, and the invisible systems that shape our teams. But here we are.

So here’s the real takeaway:

Hire for range. Lead with empathy. Build systems that bend, not break. And don’t be afraid of a little chaos it might just be where the breakthroughs are hiding.

Recommended Reading

If this sparked something in you, here are a few great starting points to dig deeper:

• “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein

• “The Fearless Organization” by Amy Edmondson

• “Neurodiversity at Work” by Theo Smith & Amanda Kirby

• “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker

• “Systems Thinking For Social Change” by David Peter Stroh

• Harvard Business Review – “What Sets Successful CEOs Apart”