Leading with Strengths and ADHD in the Workplace with Rita Ramakrishnan

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Sep 8, 2025

Rita Ramakrishnan, a seasoned leadership coach and neurodivergent advocate, dives deep into empowering ADHD and autistic individuals in the workplace. She shares her journey of transforming diagnoses into strengths and discusses vital topics like emotional regulation and building a supportive team strategy. Rita offers actionable tools, such as creating a Minimum Viable Routine and tracking energy levels to leverage unique strengths. Her insights on authentic leadership and personal advocacy aim to uplift neurodivergent voices in leadership roles.

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INSIGHT

Processing Differences Create Distinct Strengths

ADHD alters how you process inputs and produce outputs, which can create distinctive strengths.
Pattern recognition, speed, creativity and alternative solutioning can be competitive advantages when harnessed.

ADVICE

Lock In A Minimum Viable Routine

Create a Minimum Viable Routine (MVR) that contains the non-negotiables you must do each day.
Automate, outsource, or set alarms for those items so ADHD disruptions don't break the basics.

ANECDOTE

Practical Outsourcing Example

Rita uses an automatic feeder and scheduled walks to manage pet care during hyperfocus.
She also uses a virtual assistant to triage mail and protect her time.

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Hey Team!

This week, I’m talking with Rita Ramakrishnan, a seasoned strategic executive and leadership coach with over 15 years of experience. Diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism Spectrum during her undergrad years, Rita reframed what could have been limitations into strengths and now looks to uplift other neurodivergent women in leadership roles.

Currently, she is pursuing a master's degree in neurodivergent leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, intensifying her expertise in coaching and organizational strategy tailored to neurodivergent individuals.

In our conversation, we cover everything from identifying when you’re dysregulated (and what to do about it) to designing teams that play to everyone’s strengths. Rita walks us through practical tools like outsourcing strategically, tracking your energy to uncover strengths, and building a leadership charter so teams can work more effectively together. It’s a conversation about leading authentically, creating systems that work for your brain, and how to advocate for your needs without falling into people-pleasing traps.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/243

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

1. Try creating a Minimum Viable Routine - your baseline routine that consists of the bare minimum you need in place to function. The point of an MVR is to take those non-negotiables and lock them in, either with automation, outsourcing, or simple systems. That way, when ADHD throws a curveball, you still have the essentials covered.

2. Instead of only measuring productivity by what gets checked off a to-do list, try looking at how you feel after activities. Track when you walk away from a meeting or task feeling energized, and when you walk away feeling drained. 3. Rejection sensitivity hits hard for many folks with ADHD. A short email reply, a period at the end of a text, or even a coworker sounding rushed can feel like a personal rejection. Rita’s advice is to deliberately separate yourself from the situation and try to depersonalize feedback. This reframing can help shift from identity-based thinking (like “I’m the problem”) to more situation-based thinking (“this may be tough, but it’s fixable”).