ADHD Traits Of Successful Entrepreneurs
Research shows us where ADHD traits and successful entrepreneurship overlap
I’ve been a successful entrepreneur since 2010, and only found out in October 2019 that I have ADHD.
When I first joined Medium* in the Spring of 2021, I wrote about how my ADHD has made me a successful entrepreneur. That story focused on the non-linear way I became self-employed (do people with ADHD do anything in a linear fashion? I think not), and how I adapted to major changes that arose due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
To follow-up on my previous piece, I want to explore some traits associated with ADHD that can contribute to becoming a highly successful entrepreneur, while also pointing out some potential risks, and how to (hopefully) avoid them.
First, the bad news
There has been quite a bit of research in the past few years about ADHD and Entrepreneurship Orientation (referred to as OE in the scientific literature). Unfortunately, results are nuanced, and not as straightforward as we would like — as usual.
A lot of ADHD qualities can offer both benefits and limitations. The better we understand our neurobiology and how our symptoms impact us, the more we’re able to harness the positive and mitigate the negative. I’ll discuss several common ADHD traits and the possible pros and cons to each when it comes to running a business.
Motivation, such an aggravation
Those of us with ADHD frequently struggle with motivation. If we really don’t want to do something, it can be a psychologically painful experience to trick and cajole ourselves into doing it, or suffer the consequences. Without a supervisor, boss, or colleague looking over our shoulder we may struggle with following through when the dopamine “runs out*”.
*Note: dopamine doesn’t literally run out, but ADHD brains process less dopamine when compared to neurotypical brains, and dopamine plays a critical role in reward and motivation.
On the flip side, working for someone else can be incredibly demotivating, and having someone looking over your shoulder can increase anxiety and frustration, and reduce one’s perception of job autonomy.
If we have chosen a start-up we are passionate about, we can hyperfocus on related tasks because we’re very interested in them, and as a result we can be incredibly hard-working and productive. This can lead to success and profit, which will motivate us to keep pushing when we see our hard work paying off.
Whether we are self-employed or work for someone else there are important aspects of the working environment that can facilitate success:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Neurodiversity MB to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.