This stopped me in my tracks.

Andersen, Tesla, and Turing all exhibited a well-chronicled, driving force of creativity.

Your organization is “all about” creativity and innovation. We nod our heads in agreement.

But do we really understand the human characteristics at the source of genuine creativity and innovation?

Trailblazing inventor, Nikola Tesla, demonstrated remote radio control in 1898 that was so ahead of its time, many believed it was magic.

Hans Christian Andersen’s genre-defining metaphors stories and characters represent common social dynamics.

The inventor of modern computing, Alan Turing, demonstrated unnervingly extreme focus, avoided eye contact and only had one friend at school—all common autistic traits.

It’s tempting to say that now the times are gentler and more inclusive.

But it is likely that today that the three innovators above would not have passed the “culture fit” test even for the most basic roles.

It is easy to dismiss this on the basis that Andersen, Tesla, and Turing represented rare genius.

But they were perceived as “outsiders”.

You know them. Those who “don’t play the game”, not “team players”, don’t “join in” or “collaborate well”.

It may not be a choice.

And there may be hidden gold . . .

One thing is for sure, I am determined to be a little more considerate to those that think and behave very differently to what I expect.

“Think Different” was an iconic call to action for Steve Jobs.

“Behave Different” can be a bit of a challenge.

This article by Ludmila Praslova in Fast Company opened my mind.

It is a 5 minute read but you might still be thinking about it hours later!

“Neurodiversity is critical for innovation in the workplace” – You can read it here . . .

Thanks for reading