Unlocking the ADHD Advantage: Why Your Brain Being Wired Differently Is Your Superpower

by Anders Hansen

If you have a brain that absorbs a lot of information and sees all stimuli as potentially interesting, it increases your chances of eventually seeing things in a new light and coming up with ideas others wouldn’t.

What’s more, when ADHD is treated with medication, the activity decreases in the brain’s daydreaming network, the DMN.

It quickly became apparent that there was more turbulence in the groups where one child had ADHD symptoms. Often, that child had difficulty staying on topic and made irrelevant comments. Strangely enough, however, it turned out that these groups handled the tasks better. In nine out of the ten groups that included a child with ADHD, the children managed to solve the logical tasks correctly.

As I’ve already mentioned, the psychiatrist John Ratey has described people with ADHD as having “an itch they can never scratch.” His suggestion—which I wholeheartedly endorse—is to let that “itch” guide you toward areas in which you can unleash your creativity. You should strive to find a niche where you can express your creative talents and where those talents are appreciated.

Both the chef and the journalist can focus intensely when they are doing something that genuinely interests them. The rest of the time, focusing is a challenge. I have heard similar stories from other people with ADHD who work as programmers, car mechanics and marketing execs. They all describe facing an uphill battle in school and how, once they found their calling, they could suddenly put their hyperfocus to good use—something they had previously only experienced in front of the computer or TV. When they are truly interested, they don’t just move up one extra gear but two. Suddenly, their ability to concentrate is even better than that of a person without ADHD. The individuals I’m describing haven’t become successful in their professions despite having ADHD; they have become successful thanks to it.

Someone who 30,000 years ago would have thought, I want to see what’s on the other side of those mountains, might today think, I want to create a web-based payment system for small business owners. It might sound absurd to compare these two things, but fundamentally it’s a matter of not accepting the status quo and wanting to move forward instead—to keep questioning and not settle for the way things are.

In the chapter “A More Boring World,” you learned that many people with ADHD tend to get bored easily, which is probably an important reason why they decide to start their own businesses. A number of entrepreneurs, all of whom had ADHD, were interviewed for a report with the telling title “Entrepreneurship and psychological disorders: how ADHD can be productively harnessed.” It turned out that many had gravitated toward entrepreneurship because regular jobs bored them. They chose a work situation where they could pursue their own ideas and make their own decisions.

In fact, hyperactivity is the personality trait most strongly associated with entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurs don’t make life-or-death decisions for their companies every day, of course. However, I believe that a fast-paced environment and varied tasks can fulfill a similar function as making critical decisions. The challenging pace and workload make the environment sufficiently intense and therefore interesting.

have also noticed that many people with ADHD or strong traits of it have the ability to see the “big picture” and not get bogged down in details. If something is too complicated or cumbersome, they often react immediately and don’t settle for the explanation “that’s the way we do it here”; instead, they ask how processes can be improved and simplified.

It’s a matter of not being too paralyzed by risk, but daring to choose uncertainty over certainty—just like the entrepreneurs in Silicon Fen.

A stimulating job is one that can absorb all your energy and that you can become really good at.

Lorentzon also has another trait I have observed in many people with ADHD: he has no respect whatsoever for authority figures and always focuses on the best solution, not where it’s coming from. He is pragmatic and not the least bit interested in titles and office politics; what matters is the end result.

Utilize your flexibility. Few entrepreneurs hit the mark right away. You have an idea of what you want to do, but along the way you might discover that the idea needs adjusting. Often, you may end up doing something entirely different. Business ideas often need to be rethought, and flexibility is a trait characteristic of many people with ADHD—so make use of it!