Hacking Your ADHD

Episode: Leading with Strengths and ADHD in the Workplace with Rita Ramakrishnan
Host: William Curb
Guest: Rita Ramakrishnan
Date: September 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, William Curb interviews Rita Ramakrishnan, a strategic executive and leadership coach specializing in neurodivergent leadership. Rita shares her personal ADHD journey, her experience as a leader and coach, and offers practical tools for maximizing strengths and creating inclusive, effective workplace systems for those with ADHD and other neurodivergent traits. The conversation explores self-awareness, team design, thriving in the workplace, overcoming rejection sensitivity, and advocating for your needs—particularly as a neurodivergent leader.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rita’s ADHD Journey & The Shift to Strengths ([03:05]–[07:11])

• Diagnosis Story: Rita was diagnosed with ADHD and autism in university, which helped her make sense of past challenges. Previously undiagnosed due to inattentive presentation and gender bias in diagnostic criteria.
  • “It kind of came as a surprise, but ... it helped me make sense of a lot of the behaviors and challenges I had growing up. ...there's a whole generation of us that kind of flew under the radar because the diagnostic criteria for so long was based on observed behaviors in young boys.” — Rita [03:05]
• Community & Relief: Realizing she wasn’t alone transformed feelings of isolation into belonging.
• Strengths-Based Approach: Rita reframes ADHD from just challenges to also recognizing unique advantages such as pattern recognition, creative thinking, and rapid information processing.
  • “When harnessed correctly, they can be your strategic advantage, whether in the workplace or in life.” — Rita [06:13]

2. Embracing & Harnessing ADHD Strengths ([07:11]–[09:37])

• Recognizing Strengths: Many people undervalue their own strengths because those tasks feel easy to them.
  • “Sometimes you’re hopping into a space ... and it just comes naturally. And, you know, everyone has that. ...Ours just looks a little bit different sometimes.” — Rita [07:32]
• Team Complementarity: The importance of diverse skill sets within teams and hiring for weaknesses to build balanced teams.
  • “The most effective leaders are the ones that hire for their deficits ... so that we can harmonize together as a unit.” — Rita [08:46]

3. Creating Systems: MVR & Outsourcing ([09:52]–[12:34])

• Minimum Viable Routine (MVR): Identify the daily non-negotiables for functioning, and automate, systematize, or outsource wherever possible.
  • “What are the things as a functioning adult or within the context of your work that you absolutely have to get done no matter what?” — Rita [10:15]
  • Alarms for daily tasks, automated feeders, virtual assistants for emails.
• Practical Tech: Using tools like automated calendars or platforms like Motion to manage executive function challenges.

4. Discovering Your Strengths ([12:34]–[15:45])

• Energy Tracking: Encourage listeners to notice which activities are energizing versus depleting, and reflect to identify true strengths.
  • “I would always recommend starting with energy management. ...Your body knows. Your body is a data engine and it's constantly giving you signals.” — Rita [12:48]
• Somatic Awareness: Paying attention to bodily signals of engagement and enjoyment helps clarify which tasks are strengths.
• Kind, Nonjudgmental Reflection: Avoid all-or-nothing thinking; reframe “I’m not good at this” to “I’m not good at it yet” and explore why.

5. Managing Rejection Sensitivity & Mindful Self-Advocacy ([17:07]–[22:44])

• Rejection Dysphoria: Recognize and depersonalize feelings of rejection. Separate “I failed” from “I am a failure.”
  • “Are they truly rejecting me and what else might be true? ...We also over personalize things and that's twice as relevant for folks who are neurodivergent.” — Rita [18:17]
• Self-Awareness Techniques: Step back, ask clarifying questions, and challenge negative thought spirals.
• Practicing Grace: Extend understanding to yourself and others, both in personal interactions (texts, emails) and larger work scenarios.

6. Neurodivergent Leadership: Thriving in the Workplace ([22:46]–[28:39])

• Leadership by Necessity & Vision: Neurodivergent people often step into leadership to fix broken systems or because they see unique solutions.
  • The scaling challenge: as organizations grow, new perspectives and needs cause leaders to adapt.
• Regulation & Coping Tools: Develop self-awareness of dysregulation and create routines for self-regulation (exercise, meditation, planned breaks).
  • “The greatest gift you can give to yourself is self awareness. ...Come up with your regulation tools and techniques.” — Rita [23:26]
• Outsourcing & Highest/Best Use: Leaders must relinquish parts of their workload to focus on their most impactful contributions.
  • “What is your highest and best use?” — Rita [27:10]
  • Example: Outsourcing editing for podcasting to make time for work aligned with strengths and passions.

7. Advocating for Your Needs & Team Design ([31:03]–[36:19])

• Information Processing Styles: Understand and communicate personal decision-making, conflict-resolving, and data-processing preferences.
  • “How do you process information? How do you prefer to resolve conflict? ...Negotiating your ways of working with your team.” — Rita [31:03]
• Leadership Charters: Teams benefit from proactively establishing decision-making protocols, meeting expectations, and communication norms.
• Universal Design: Accommodations requested by neurodivergent people (e.g., earlier access to materials, meeting at optimal times) often benefit everyone.
  • “We're moving to a place of just acknowledging cognitive diversity.” — Rita [34:53]

8. Stepping Out of People Pleasing for Collective Advocacy ([36:40]–[38:09])

• Community Advocacy: Self-advocacy isn’t just about the individual—it paves the way for others who share similar needs.
  • “Know that you're actually advocating for the community. ...In advocating and then starting these conversations, you're not just representing your needs, you're probably representing a whole group of people.” — Rita [37:06]
• Brand & Leadership: Leaders should recognize the broader impact of their actions and stances.

Notable Quotes

• “There's a whole community of us that experience the world a little bit differently. And so what does it mean for us?” — Rita [04:41]
• “It’s an integrated part of you and it’s great and it’s big and it’s beautiful and there’s a lot that comes with it.” — Rita [05:45]
• “Our bodies and our brains just process things a little bit differently. ...For us, it just looks a little bit different sometimes.” — Rita [07:32]
• “The most effective leaders are the ones that hire for their deficits. They look around, they say, these are the areas where I'm not great at...so let me bring diversity of thought in.” — Rita [08:46]
• “I like taking that strengths based approach...what are the unique strengths and gifts that are coming with my ADHD that we can harness and use as an advantage?” — Rita [06:13]
• “The greatest definition of happiness I’ve ever read is that it sits at the intersection of peacefulness and productivity …peacefulness is a really important concept as well.” — Rita [38:27]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:05] – Rita’s Diagnosis & Life Before/After ADHD Awareness
• [06:13] – ADHD as Info Processing: Strengths and Advantages
• [09:52] – Minimum Viable Routine & Outsourcing Tips
• [12:48] – How to Identify and Reflect on Your True Strengths
• [15:02] – Cognitive Behavioral & Mindfulness Techniques for Reframing Weaknesses
• [18:17]/[19:53] – Coping with Rejection Sensitivity and Depersonalizing Criticism
• [22:46] – Leadership Emergence in Neurodivergent Individuals
• [23:26] – Regulation Strategies for Leaders
• [27:10] – Letting Go: Outsourcing and Focusing on “Highest and Best Use”
• [31:03] – Advocating for Processing Styles & Leadership Charter Creation
• [36:19] – Universal Design & Cognitive Diversity
• [37:06] – From People-Pleasing to Community Advocacy
• [38:27] – Peacefulness + Productivity = Happiness (Final Thought)

Memorable Moments

• The analogy of letting go of team “Legos” as part of the leadership growth journey ([28:16])
• The story of garage sales as a metaphor for letting go and focusing on what matters ([29:06])
• The practice of inviting a “neutral” person to help sort through emotionally charged decisions ([30:27])
• The recommendation of conducting a “leadership charter” as a proactive, team-strengthening practice ([33:45])

Conclusion & Final Thoughts ([38:27])

• Rita encourages listeners to seek the intersection of peacefulness and productivity for true happiness and sustainability in leadership and life:
  • “Taking stock of some of these principles, getting to know yourself, getting curious about yourself, especially at a leadership level, to cultivate that sense of peacefulness is what's going to sustain you in the long run.” — Rita [38:27]

Further Resources

• Find more from Rita Ramakrishnan at www.iksana.com ([39:15])
• Full show notes available at hackingyouradhd.com/243

This episode offers both mindset shifts and actionable strategies for neurodivergent individuals—especially those in or aspiring to leadership—seeking to thrive by leaning into their strengths, designing accommodating environments, and advocating for themselves and their peers.