Working with a Boss Who Has ADHD: Notes from an Explorer

I’ve been working with a boss who has ADHD for about a month now. Although he mentioned it during the interview, I didn’t fully understand what that meant in daily work until I experienced it myself.

At first glance, it may seem unusual, the idea that someone with ADHD could successfully run a business. People often assume that ADHD means a lack of control or focus, so founding and sustaining a company might seem impossible. But that’s not the case. They can and they do.

From Side Quests to Core Goals: Navigating the Chaos

Early on, I found myself constantly pulled into side quests. For example, we had to send a presentation to a “paying” customer within two hours. But every five minutes, we’d get distracted by a new idea or spontaneous task and suddenly, we were doing something completely unrelated. It happened again and again. Eventually, I started asking myself, “When are we actually going to finish the main task?” That’s when Osman Bey, my boss, paused and explained. He said he was aware of his habit of side-questing, constantly jumping between things, and how it made completing core responsibilities difficult. That moment changed everything for me. It was like a light turned on. I started recognizing all the distractions more clearly. And that’s when I realized my role: not to fight the chaos, but to bring order to it. The distractions weren’t going away, but they could be managed. I created my own priority list. After all, Osman Bey always says, “You’re the boss now, who’s going to stop you?” So, I decided to act like it.

Instead of stressing about how I’d manage everything, I built a system. I reminded him which tasks were side quests, and that we’d only tackle those after we completed our main goals. That clarity helped both of us focus.

I like to describe this journey as an explorer’s game. There’s no map, you make your own. Finding the “right” way might be impossible, but organizing the search for the right way is your real job.

At first, you might feel overwhelmed. Your boss may flood you with ideas, requests, and sudden shifts in mood. But here’s the thing: it’s not personal. Often, they’re just expressing everything on their mind all at once. Stay calm. Take notes. Help organize. Because sometimes they can’t tell what’s urgent and what’s not, but you can. That’s why you’re there.

You may never fully understand how their mind works, but you can absolutely learn how to work with them. Just like an explorer, you keep digging. Look for patterns. Find the meaning behind the behaviors. Stay steady when things shift. And remember: you're not just supporting them, you're learning a lot about yourself too.

Oversharing or Opening a Window? Rethinking Boundaries

Beyond side-questing, another thing you may encounter is oversharing. Out of nowhere, your boss might tell you something very personal, something unrelated to your task, or even irrelevant to you. In everyday life, you’d probably question that kind of openness. You’d wonder why someone’s sharing so much. However, oversharing is actually common among people with ADHD. You might ask, “Okay, but are we just supposed to listen to all of it?” Well, it depends on how you interpret it.

In my view, these moments can help build a stronger connection. They give you insight into who your boss is beyond the professional title. And sometimes, these side conversations act like small mental breaks. They allow your brain to pause, shift gears, and return refreshed. You don’t feel stuck in constant work mode.

So my advice? Use these moments like open windows, let them air out your mind. Let them help you reset. Let them remind you that you’re working with a human, not a robot. And with time, they’ll help you understand your boss more deeply.

One of the surprising upsides of working with a boss who has ADHD is their understanding of personal space and boundaries. They often grasp the need for downtime and alone time not as a weakness, but as a real necessity. They also tend to be highly aware of overstimulation. People with ADHD can get overwhelmed quickly when too much is happening at once. That might show up as mood swings or sudden drops in energy and productivity. This is where boundaries come into play. And we must ask ourselves: Is the goal just to get the task done, no matter the cost? Or is it to complete it in a way that’s sustainable and meaningful? For any long-term organization, the answer should be the latter.

In this sense, working with someone who has ADHD can actually teach you healthier ways to manage time and energy. You begin to prioritize quality over quantity. You learn to take mindful breaks. You learn to work with your energy, not against it. So really, it’s not just about adapting to someone else’s brain. It’s about discovering better ways of working for both of you.

I won’t end this with a typical “in summary” statement, after all, this is a personal reflection. But I’ll say this: working with a boss who has ADHD doesn’t feel chaotic or exhausting to me. On the contrary, with the right mindset and clear boundaries, it can be a surprisingly balanced and rewarding experience.Instead of being swept up in constant motion, I’ve learned to pause, take a breath, and ask what really matters. That, I’ve realized, is my actual job. And along the way, this experience is also helping me better understand the messiness of my own mind.

That’s it for now, but who knows? Part two might be just around the corner. Because like any explorer, I’m not done digging yet.

Kübra İleri

Operations Lead

kubraileri@stoikaconsulting.com

www.stoikaconsulting.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/stoikaconsulting/