They’re high-energy, risk-taking, and creative. Some people consider them uncannily intuitive. Others think they’re an undisciplined wild card.
Are they a pioneering entrepreneur or just one of the millions of Americans diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Both.
Professor Johan Wiklund, who is the Al Berg Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University Whitman School of Management, often sees this profile in business leaders who are selectively focused, driven and brilliant. He’s also observed that this profile often matches with ADHD.
Professor Johan Wiklund highlights a unique trait often found in entrepreneurs with ADHD, shedding light on how their mindset can drive success. “If you have ADHD, you’re likely to be impatient, impulsive, and biased towards taking action,” he explains. As the Al Berg Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University, he’s a leading authority on the link between ADHD and entrepreneurship.
“You want to try things out and see what happens, even in circumstances of high uncertainty, and while that can be terminal in some walks of life,” he adds, “it’s very effective in entrepreneurship.” This quality works so well in entrepreneurship because business is full of uncertainty, and waiting for the "perfect" plan can slow you down. Being willing to try things, learn fast, and adapt on the fly is what gives entrepreneurs an edge.
Entrepreneurship thrives on innovation and risk-taking, and those with ADHD are naturally wired to embrace uncertainty and act quickly. Instead of getting stuck in overthinking, they jump in, test ideas, and learn by doing, which accelerates growth and uncovers opportunities others might miss. This ability to adapt fast and keep moving forward is essential in the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship.
No wonder an estimated 20% to 30% of entrepreneurs have ADHD, even though an estimated less than 7% of the general population are diagnosed with ADHD.
The ADHD-entrepreneurial link
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition reflecting differences in brain structure and function. The condition is thought to occur in over half of the world's top business leaders. It’s characterized by increased activity, more distraction, a hard time focusing on boring topics, and being impulsive.
“These are often people who’ve had some trouble fitting into the regular labor market and see entrepreneurship as an opportunity to shape a business into what they want it to be,” says Wiklund.
Among ADHD’s CEO superstars are Virgin Atlantic head Sir Richard Branson, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, financial services pioneer Charles Schwab, and renowned chef Jamie Oliver.
It's pretty pinspiring how the unique traits of ADHD—like high-energy, creativity, and a willingness to take risks—can be major advantages in the business world. Many entrepreneurs with ADHD turn what might seem like challenges into strengths, driving innovation and shaking up industries in the process.
Common business pitfalls for people with ADHD
At their best, ADHD entrepreneurs are bold, energized, and inspiring. But they can also tune out, make rash decisions, become consumed with the wrong details, and otherwise threaten a precarious new business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), one in five start-ups fail within two years; 45 vanish before year five; and 65% never reach the 10-year mark.
“As a business becomes more established, you have to become more of a manager and people with ADHD may not make the best managers,” explains Wiklund.
He cautions his students to call in reinforcements long before serious harm can occur.
ADHD’s helpmates
Bonnie Mincu, founder of “Thrive with ADD,” is among a growing population of those ADHD helpmates. As one out of a thousand licensed ADHD coaches, Mincu helps clients acquire critical self-knowledge, anticipate roadblocks, and institute strategies–including step-by-step rituals, checklists, and daily habits–to combat ADHD’s attention-stealing power.
She often calls for entrepreneurs to find and affiliate with a business partner and/or employees with complementary skills, offload unsavory tasks to others, and remain ever-vigilant for signs of ADHD-based obstacles.
The suggestions include:
Be ADHD-aware
Many adults with ADHD, approximately one-fifth by some estimates, are unaware they have ADHD. It’s easy, but dangerous to attribute professional struggles to personal failure, laziness or self-sabotage.
Mincu knows that firsthand. She used to be a management consultant and business coach. She couldn't focus and start building her practice until she took an ADHD self-test at a coaching conference and understood the challenges she faced.
“I couldn’t believe I recognized myself in the ADHD traits,” recalls Mincu. “I’d assumed it just applied to hyper-active kinds until I learned of my Inattentive-Type ADHD.”
She switched her specialty to ADHD adults, completed her training, and has since helped thousands tame their ADHD and improve their self-esteem.
“So many adults with ADHD are consumed with shame because they think they’ve failed, when it’s due to a brain that functions differently and requires alternative strategies,” notes Mincu.
She now offers her own quiz on her “Thrive with Add” website. Other versions are available on add.org, Psych Central, and Mental Health America.
Know your avoidance triggers
People with ADHD are more likely to avoid boring and mundane tasks because, unlike their neurotypical counterparts, they produce lower levels of the brain chemical dopamine that promotes attention. That can be risky.
“For instance, many hate anything related to bookkeeping and financial record-keeping, and if you neglect those, the IRS will come after you,” says Wiklund.
His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs; “either force yourself to do these things, have a friend or spouse help, or, ideally, bring in a trusted professional.”
Both the ADHD Coaches Association and the Professional Association for ADHD Coaches offer referrals to specially trained professionals.
Outsource and Delegate
For Mincu, exhausted after years of trying to run a business herself, hiring a virtual assistant was the ultimate lifesaver. She understood that there were important things she simply couldn’t get done and that someone else could accomplish them faster and cheaper.
Whether a startup requires a full-time business partner, a chief financial officer, an accounting whiz, or a savvy part-timer sourced from sites like Zirtual and VA Staffer, delegating tasks can be strategic for people with ADHD.
Alter daily operations
If meetings are torture, record-keeping agonizing, and conference calls unbearable, consider eliminating them entirely.
“Because it’s your own business, you can decide to remove chairs from conference rooms to ensure there’ll be no long meetings,” says Wiklund.
Alternatively, you can require time-limited “walking meetings,” confine online discussions to Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Flock, or require special dispensation for a conference call, meeting, or off-site.
Beware of the gremlins
Almost every entrepreneur with ADHD is haunted by a feared task or unpleasant responsibility, what some refer to as their “gremlin.”
Mincu stresses the importance of anticipating, recognizing and maneuvering around these land mines by detecting early signs of avoidance.
“If you find yourself feeling mentally unable to start something, challenge yourself to determine what the roadblock is and why it exists. Most obstacles can be defeated,” says Mincu.
Common gremlins include:
- Hyperfocus: The extreme, unwavering focus that grips some entrepreneurs with ADHD can derail an entire operation.
“An entrepreneur can become so consumed with work that they forget to eat or drink or sleep,” warns Wiklund.
Stepping away, taking a break, setting a timer, or asking others to intervene when a spiral is looming can lessen hyperfocus.
- Overwhelm: When too many demands compete, “overwhelm” occurs. Mincu’s solution is to calmly question whether you have taken on too much, jettison less critical responsibilities, and proceed slowly.
- Paralysis: When burnout and overwhelm cause total work paralysis, a full reboot is essential. Drop everything, relax, reexamine, and then calmly readdress the situation.
“It’s not always possible to take on a whole problem at once but tackling one small manageable part at a time can work,” says Mincu.
- Shame: Humiliation and embarrassment over unrealized goals can be devastating. Mincu challenges entrepreneurs to reframe their definition of success and failure, cut themselves slack, and initiate thoughtful course correction.
“The first time you do anything, it won’t be perfect, but doing it, learning from your mistakes, and improving on the next go-round constitutes progress. Learning is never a failure,” says Mincu.
With your gremlins under control, unpleasant tasks delegated, and daily operations streamlined, entrepreneurs with ADHD can return to what they do best, making things happen.
“Being able to get the right people together, develop the right relationships, know what do and when to let others take the lead. Those are the ingredients of success,” says Wiklund.