Why ADHDers Make Such Great Entrepreneurs

Do you see your ADHD as a super power or a curse?

A look through different ADHD community groups shows it's split down the middle.

While there can be positives and negatives to anything, today I want to focus on ADHD business benefits—more specifically: Why do ADHDers seem to do so well as entrepreneurs?

The drive to be an entrepreneur

Before we get to the main question, I thought we should start by looking at someone wanting to own their own business. Not everyone wants to be their own boss or be the one in charge of making all the important decisions. It turns out, this isn't the case for many people with ADHD.

A study in 2015 discovered that people with ADHD were more likely to have the intention or desire to start their own business. The researchers pinpointed risk-taking behavior, often associated with ADHD, as one of the leading factors to wanting to be an entrepreneur. And, they agreed that this behavior "partly explains this positive effect."

Did you catch that p-word in there? Positive. Sure, risk-taking can obviously be seen as a negative trait, especially if you're searching for the negative. But, as you can see, it can just as easily be seen as a positive.

That got me to thinking: What other ADHD traits are normally seen as negative that, in fact, can be seen just as positive?

A look on the ADHD bright side

Here are a few other ADHD-related behaviors and traits that happen to be great ingredients for creating a successful business:

❖ Hyperactivity

I'm not just referring to the stereotype of someone who always has to be moving and can't sit still, though this can definitely help if you're a team of one with a lot to do. I'm also talking about having a hyperactive mind. Even if you don't regularly bounce or fidget on the outside, most ADHDers can attest to having a mind that goes in a thousand different directions, all at the same time, constantly. This can be a great benefit to a new business, or any business for that matter. It can come in quite handy for problem-solving or finding creative solutions.

❖ Impulsivity

Impulsivity is often used to describe the behavior of acting without thinking. While ADHDers can also be great worriers—agonizing over a single detail for a long period of time—many can also take giant leaps without a second thought. I'm talking about leaps that would terrify any neurotypical person. But not you, you're already looking to what comes next.

❖ Problem Solving

I'm sure a lot of you are trying to figure out how problem solving is an ADHD behavior. If you have ADHD and you have been aware of it for any length of time, I'm sure you can agree that you have consciously—or unconsciously—created hacks and workarounds to deal with how your brain functions. That is problem solving. By the time an ADHDer is an adult, they have become pros at finding solutions to problems. Refocusing that problem-solving ability toward a business isn't much different.

Keep looking

I could go on and on; talking about the different ways ADHD can be such a benefit for starting a business. But, I want to encourage you to do some of your own research. I guarantee you won't have to look very hard to find a ton of great information, studies, and stories about how ADHD can benefit a business.

It’s your turn…

Now, for a little home experiment: Create a list of the behaviors and traits you have that you associate with ADHD. Decide whether you see each of these behaviors as being in the positive or negative column. Then, I would like to challenge you to take each one of the traits you see as negative, and see if you can turn them into a positive.

Thank you for your time and attention,

-Nikki