A test fails, a deadline looms, and one person sees a crisis while the person next to them sees the most interesting problem they have had in months. Same event, two completely different reactions.
Kai Stowers, a former biotech research chemist now coaching leaders with ADHD and AuDHD, joins Sana to talk about masking, the hidden cost of forcing a nonlinear brain into a linear schedule, and what twelve leaders with ADHD taught him about compassion.
About the Guest:
Kai Stowers spent nearly two decades as a research chemist in biotech before becoming an executive coach specializing in leaders with ADHD and AuDHD. He holds a Master's in Organizational Psychology from Columbia and a PCC credential, and recently interviewed twelve leaders with ADHD about their careers.
Key Takeaways:
- The same crisis can look like a threat to one brain and the best problem in months to another.
- Masking takes real energy, and over time that cost shows up as burnout.
- ADHD brains often work in bursts of hyperfocus rather than steady linear output.
- A team that rewards conformity over cognitive diversity suppresses its own best resources.
- Knowing your strengths and blind spots as a leader matters more than fitting a mold.
Connect With the Guest:
Website: https://www.kaistowers.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-stowers/
Newsletter (free ADHD leadership report): https://www.kaistowers.com/newsletter
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Opening: the same crisis, two completely different reactions (approx.)
[02:47] From research chemist to executive coach
[04:51] The field test story: when a crisis became the best problem in months
[10:43] What masking actually costs leaders and their businesses
[13:39] ADHD stereotypes that won't die, and what's actually true
[17:11] Turning neurodiversity into a leadership strength
[22:40] Where AI fits, and where it doesn't, for ADHD-led teams
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