For many adults with ADHD, work is not difficult because the job itself is too hard. It is difficult because the way work is organised quietly expects everyone to think and behave in the same way. When your brain works differently, even simple things become burdening.
Many people with ADHD describe the same feeling again and again: they are capable, creative, and motivated, too, but yet they end up doubting themselves. They may hear that they are “too much” in one workplace and “not enough” in another. In the end, it eats away their confidence and energy.
What makes this especially bothersome is that many of ADHD-individuals actually enjoy (if not love) working. They care about their tasks, they want to contribute, and they often bring something extra to the table. But instead of being rewarded, they spend a lot of energy just trying to look “normal enough”.
Recently, in our interview study, many working adults with ADHD have shared stories about what work feels like from the inside. They talked about their managers, their teams, and everyday situations at work. What becomes clear from these stories is simple but important: work does not need to change completely to support ADHD — but leadership and everyday practices matter more than people think.
The Invisible Effort of Fitting In
One of the biggest hidden challenges at work is not the workload itself, but the effort of self-control. Many people with ADHD constantly monitor how they speak, how fast they work, how emotional they seem, and how visible their enthusiasm is. They learn, often through painful experience, that being themselves can become judged.
So they slow down their thinking. They hold back ideas and hide excitement. They stop asking questions. They wait longer before acting, even when they already see a solution. None of this is written in a job description, yet it becomes part of the job.
This effort costs energy. After some time, it can lead to exhaustion, stress, or burnout. What is striking is that this happens even when performance is objectively good. People are not failing because they cannot do the work. They are burning out because too much of their energy goes into managing how they are perceived.
ADHD-traits Need the Right Conditions
Creativity, fast thinking, high energy, and deep focus are often mentioned as positive traits linked to ADHD. But these traits do not work like superpowers everyone, but they depend on context. More rightly said, they depend on the colleagues, the culture, the boss.
In one workplace, being fast and enthusiastic is appreciated. In another, the same behaviour is seen as unprofessional or chaotic. In one team, intense focus is valued. In another, it is interpreted as being unavailable or unreliable. This is why many people with ADHD describe a strange pattern in their work history. They struggle in one job, then suddenly thrive in another, without changing much about themselves.
What Supportive Leadership Really Means
Good leaders pay attention to where things tend to break down. Often it is not the main task, but the small, boring, or low-energy activities around it. When these small things fail, they can overshadow everything else.
Some managers intuitively protect these weak points. They help structure tasks, clarify priorities, or offer light support at the right moment. This kind of help does not feel controlling. It feels relieving, because it allows people to focus on what they are good at without constant fear of slipping up.
Equally important is how leaders talk about difference. When managers openly show that different (even odd) working styles are acceptable, people stop spending energy on hiding. When energy is no longer used for self-protection, it becomes available for actual work.
In some workplaces, leaders also actively place people where their natural energy fits the situation. Fast thinkers are trusted in urgent moments. Energetic people are put in dynamic roles. Creative problem-solvers are invited into messy situations instead of being told to slow down.
When this happens, people with ADHD often describe a powerful shift. Confidence grows.
Why This Matters
Many organisations state they value creativity, innovation and change positiviness — yet their everyday norms quietly push away the people who naturally bring these qualities.
When work environments demand sameness, they lose exactly the kind of energy that is most valuable in uncertain times. At the same time, individuals pay the price through stress or leaving jobs.
A change does not require grand programs or complex systems. You can start with small shifts in how expectations are communicated, and how differences are interpreted.
When ADHDers are stopped being asked to adapt to the system, and instead the system channels their capability in right tasks and places, something important happens. People stop feeling like they are failing at a game that was never designed for them.
Tips for Supporting ADHD at Work
- Celebrate differences, wow them!
- Understand obstacles and instead of removing the task or demand, make a work-around.
- Make sure individuals have at least one task each where they can use their natural, unconvential strengths. That will make them extraordinary and build confidence.
Author: Heini Pensar
