Is your ADHD holding you back as a leader?
It doesn’t have to – ADHD as a manager can be a superpower.
I’ve worked with thousands of ADHD managers who transformed their perceived “limitations” into their greatest strengths. Today, I’m going to show you exactly how to do the same.
In this post, you’ll get:
- Proven systems to master your time and keep up with everything
- Tools for cutting out unnecessary meetings and communication
- Organization strategies to crush overwhelm
And much more!
Let’s dive in.
Key takeaways:
- Using calendars for everything (including thinking and preparation time) helps ADHD leaders stay on track and finish what they start.
- Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and using pre-planning and systems to keep track of those tasks prevents the overwhelm that often causes ADHD brains to freeze.
- Successful ADHD managers embrace persistence by creating recovery protocols that help them quickly get back on track when distracted instead of aiming for perfection.
Can you have ADHD and be a manager?
ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that can interfere with daily functioning and development.
Which means, your brain is wired differently.
But you’re not alone – approximately 6% of US adults (one in 16) have an ADHD diagnosis—including many successful managers and executives.
That said, ADHD does come with its own challenges for managers.
Maybe you experience…
- Time management difficulties: Deadlines approach faster than you can keep track and you struggle with prioritizing tasks
- Lack of focus: Focus scatters right when you need it most (like during that critical team meeting)
- Communication barriers: Important information gets lost between your brain and your team
- Organizational hurdles: Multiple projects create paralyzing overwhelm
- Management issues: Delegation feels impossible—somehow it seems easier to just do everything yourself
- Emotional dysregulation: Emotions intensify under pressure, affecting your team relationships
- Impulsive decision-making: Decisions feel impulsive, leaving you second-guessing yourself
On the other hand, you also have a lot of strengths, including:
- Creative problem-solving that cuts through conventional thinking when everyone else is stuck
- Energy levels that inspire your entire team to push beyond their limits
- Hyperfocus abilities that help you accomplish in hours what takes others days
- Emotional intelligence and empathy that forge unbreakable team loyalty
- Calculated risk-taking that spots game-changing opportunities others miss
- Adaptability in chaotic situations where rigid thinkers fall apart
- Visionary big-picture thinking that inspires breakthrough innovation
- Relentless drive for growth and improvement that keeps your team evolving
- Resilience against setbacks that models persistence for your entire organization
The question isn’t whether you can be a great manager with ADHD.
The question is: how do you harness these natural strengths while creating systems to manage the challenges?
How to deal with ADHD as a manager (according to other leaders)
At Lifehack Method, we’ve helped thousands of managers with ADHD transform their productivity. The secret? Creating systems that work with your unique brain wiring, not against it.
With these systems, managers with ADHD can go from feeling like their diagnosis is working against them to becoming some of the best leaders out there.
And here below, we share the top strategies for managing others while staying on top of your own chaos – based on answers from our community of ADHD/neurodivergent Lifehack Method leaders.
First up…
Tip #1: Make your calendar your best friend
The most powerful tool is right at your fingertips: your calendar (such as Google Calendar). This was by far the most mentioned tip from our survey responses.
Neurodivergent lifehackers are using calendars as a system to remind them about upcoming tasks, and make sure they have the proper time built in to work on Deep Work (the tasks that require more thinking).
That way, they can shift into execution mode knowing that their tasks have already been assigned a time and a place to get done.
But there is a catch: EVERYTHING needs to get calendarized in order for you to finish what you start, including thinking time, preparation time, and follow-up time.
Kim Lord says to, “Schedule EVERYTHING in Google calendar with a reminder 1 day before and 30-60 minutes before the due date. For those of us with ADHD, out-of-sight-out-of-mind can be very true, which is why calendars/planners can be useful. It’s difficult to avoid what is directly in front of you!”
And Tres Jiménez Fontaine says to “Immediately create calendar entries using a consistent project naming practice for to-dos. This works so much better for me than a to-do list. Because I use the monthly, weekly and morning calendar scan that I learned from you all during my bootcamp a few years ago, I can sort my calendar quickly to see hours worked and future to-dos by project.”
What does this look like? Here’s my own calendar:
Quick win: Need help mastering calendarization? Get our free tutorial here:
Tip #2: Break down tasks
Your ADHD brain freezes when faced with complex, multi-step projects. The solution? Break tasks down until they feel almost too simple.
Sarah Kester says, “If you write “do taxes” on your to-do list, the chances of it getting done are, well, slim. The trick is to break down the task into smaller steps so it becomes easier to start. For “do taxes,” this could look like “gathering receipts,” “Googling an accountant,” and “compiling January’s bank statements.”
And to create effective to-do lists, use these steps
Tip #3: Use body doubling as a powerful form of accountability
Many respondents said they find it much easier to focus and get good work done when they’re working shoulder-to-shoulder with other people.
They recommend working from a cafe, a co-working space, or using an online service like FocusMate (included free for all our Lifehack Tribe members) to get powerful social accountability.
Hafidha says she “Schedules body doubling sessions with FocusMate – even if it’s just to “open the doc,” or “review what I have to do.”
Tip #4: Master a project management app
People with ADHD often need external systems to thrive. The leaders in our community swear by project management software as their “second brain.”
One such tool is Asana – and the key is to make sure your team uses it too.
Charles says, “A project management app, used religiously by everyone, keeps things front and center and easy to work through without much thought. It allows me to get into ‘flow’ and just keep plugging away and things that are already prioritized and broken into bite size actions that can be done relatively quickly. We try to keep the maximum length of time required to complete a subtask below 10 minutes. if it’s longer, then we break it down into more subtasks. This seems to really help.”
Kayla says, “It can house running lists of projects, priorities, resources, goals, performance evals, growth plans, and such so that we only need to deal with one primary document instead of losing ourselves in a paper trail (or paper maze), trying to remember where something is or when we talked about things.”
Tip #5: Lean into structure
Even if your mind resists them, structure and boundaries make all the difference for you.
Kat Robey sums it up nicely: “Structure: routines, planning, visual timers, built-in accountability with work sessions or buddy checks, focusing on one thing at a time.”
Structure particularly applies to your environment — the physical space around you, the digital space where you do work, and the community of people you interact with.
For example, a simple way to structure each day is to use a “Start Work” and a “Finish Work” routines.
Each routine requires just 10-15 minutes and includes a small reward at the end that conditions your brain to look forward to the routine.
Morning routine example
Cue: “I’m opening my computer”
- Review and prioritize your task list (2 minutes)
- Scan your calendar to identify available work blocks (2 minutes)
- Allocate your most important tasks to these time slots (10 minutes)
- Send quick updates to your team or manager when needed (2 minutes)
- Process your inbox to zero (4 minutes)
Reward: Enjoy 10 minutes of news browsing
Evening routine example
Cue: 6 pm alarm
- Evaluate today’s accomplishments and identify tomorrow’s improvement areas (5 minutes)
- Map out tomorrow’s task plan (5 minutes)
- Address any time-sensitive emails (5 minutes)
- Organize your physical workspace (5 minutes)
Reward: Close your laptop with a satisfying “I’m done!”
Tip #6: Plan your week (and don’t skip the calendarization step)
Without a clear plan, your week will be hijacked by the loudest emergencies rather than the most important priorities.
That’s why many lifehackers referenced that their favorite habit was their weekly pre-planning session because it forced them to get clarity around their most important work before being thrust into the chaos of the week.
We use the Win the Week method for planning our weeks
Stacy Bourne mentions that for managers, the most important step is calendarizing and that she makes sure every member of her team does it. “On Fridays, after my LHT planning session, my VA and manager lead their respective teams in calendarizing their tasks,” she says.
We have a full guide on planning here:
Tip #7: Shoot for persistence, not perfection
Rather than beating yourself up when inevitable distractions knock you off course, many respondents mentioned having a practice for getting back on the horse.
Having great productivity systems in place first is crucial because then you’ve got a scaffolding in place that supports you even when you’re not on your A-game.
Breelyn Young says, “I get distracted sometimes but persistently come back to my systems.”
So, accept that distraction will happen, and build recovery protocols. Your productivity isn’t measured by perfect focus, but by how quickly you can get back on track.
What’s next?
ADHD isn’t your weakness—it’s your secret weapon.
By leaning into your creativity, building systems that work with your brain, and embracing practical strategies like calendarizing, body doubling, and breaking down tasks, you can not only manage the challenges of ADHD but thrive as a leader.
That said, doing it alone and taking action is very overwhelming.
That’s why we created Lifehack Method – a time management training loved by professionals with ADHD.
Want to have your most productive year yet, feel on top of your work, and have time for other things like family and traveling?
Then, start by getting our FREE Win the Week worksheet – and learn how to save 10 hours every week:
Learn more:
