A LOT of Visionary-type Leaders have (or feel like they have) ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Maybe it feels like owning a supercar with no steering wheel. You’ve got the power, the speed, and the drive but if you don’t learn how to harness it, you burn out or blow past key opportunities.
The good news? There are practical ways to channel your energy and shape your environment so your brain becomes your superpower, not your saboteur.
Here are seven strategies to help manage your beautiful, visionary, ADHD mind and to lead with more clarity, creativity, and control.
1. Start with Stillness
ADHD minds crave novelty and movement. Ironically, one of the most powerful things you can do to start your day is to do nothing. Take five minutes of stillness & before using your phone, your team, or your calendar start making demands. Sit. Breathe. Let your thoughts settle. Meditation isn’t magic, but it builds awareness. And that awareness becomes the key to working with your mind, instead of constantly fighting it.
If you need a frame, I created this one, because it helps me: TASKS – the thing I do before I do other things.
T – Thank (“Thank you for…”)
A – Affirm (“I am…” Positive focus)
S – Surrender (“I’m letting go of… outside my control”)
K – Kill (“I’m done with… because they aren’t for me”)
S – Serve (“I’m here to serve. Today that probably looks like…”)
2. Move Your Body
If you want a clear mind, start with your body. There’s an inverse correlation: the less your body moves, the more your brain races. Physical activity like walking, lifting, running but calms the mental storm and channels energy. Think of exercise as brain fuel. If you’re feeling scattered, it’s not a productivity hack, you need & it’s sweat! Leading yourself physically is part of leading your team mentally.
3. Put Yourself in Timeout
When it’s time to work, lock it down. Eliminate distractions. Put your phone in another room. Turn off notifications. Shut your door or better yet, disappear into a work cave where no one can find you. ADHD doesn’t respond to guilt or brute force. It responds to boundaries. Create an environment that makes deep work possible. At first it’s hard. But stick with it, and flow will come.
4. Have a Totem
In Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character spun a top to know if he was dreaming or awake. In Gladiator, Maximus knelt to touch the dirt before battle. Athletes have rituals, tics, and routines that center them. You need your own version like a “totem.” Something physical that grounds you. Maybe it’s a special pen, a rubber band on your wrist, or a small coin in your pocket. It doesn’t matter what it is but it matters that you assign it meaning. Let it anchor you.
5. Train Your Team
The people around you need to understand how your brain works. If they think they can interrupt you anytime for anything, they’ll pull you out of your zone. Don’t let that happen. (Even though you kind of like it.) Train your team. Teach them when you’re in creative mode vs. collaborative mode. Boundaries are not rude but they’re essential. Your ability to do breakthrough work depends on protecting your focus, and that starts with setting expectations.
6. Block Your Time
Time blocking is not optional for ADHD minds but it’s survival. Don’t live by a to-do list. Live by your calendar. Block time in 90-minute segments for deep, focused work. Assume the first 15-30 minutes might be messy and distracted. That’s okay. You’re building flow. Don’t overfill your schedule with meetings. Protect your highest-value windows like gold. Visionary leadership comes from sustained attention, not scattered activity.
7. Don’t Fight the Gift
Here’s the truth: your ADHD isn’t a flaw but it’s a gift. But gifts come with instructions. You’ll never be “normal,” and that’s the point. You were built to see what others miss. To dream bigger. To connect dots no one else sees. But to bring that vision to life, you have to master the systems that support you. Find your rhythm. Protect your energy. And use your beautiful mind to create something that truly matters.
You don’t have to fix your brain. You just need to lead it.
📞 Book a Strategy Call
Ready to design a leadership rhythm that works for you and your team? Let’s talk about how you can lead at your best that too without burning out.
