ADHD Ahas from a Combat Pilot, a $250 Million Founder, and a Professor
The Anxious Achiever
ADHD Can Be Contextually Advantageous
Johan Wiklund frames ADHD like height: advantages depend on context and role fit.
What do a combat pilot, a $250M entrepreneur, and a world-renowned academic have in common? ADHD. In this episode, I revisit one of my favorite conversations about how ADHD shows up in high-performing leaders who live different lives. I sit down with Nate Swan, a combat pilot who thrives in high-stress environments, Dan Bastian, co-founder of Boom Chicka Pop, and Johan Wiklund, a professor who studies ADHD in entrepreneurship. We talk about hyperfocus, impulsivity, anxiety, late diagnosis, leadership, and the unexpected ways ADHD can become a competitive advantage. Get ready to learn how the very traits often labeled as “disorders” can fuel success, creativity, and resilience.
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In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 3 high achievers with ADHD live completely different lives.
03:15 Why chaotic environments calm the ADHD brain.
04:45 How anxiety and ADHD overlap.
05:30 What happens when ADHD goes undiagnosed in adulthood?
06:30 The career risks of ADHD medication for military pilots.
09:00 Leadership lessons from managing neurodiverse teams.
11:30 How the military is shifting its mental health culture.
18:00 The anxiety that never fully goes away.
20:30 Is ADHD good or bad?
25:30 The types of work that suit ADHD brains.
34:30 Designing work around energy cycles.
37:30 How to use ADHD and anxiety as motivators.
Resources + Links
Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Find more resources on our website morraam.com
Follow
Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam
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