Phil Wickenden: Advice sector needs to be more pirate

Awareness around neurodiversity is improving, but the narrative of it as an obstacle to success, rather than a driver of it, needs to change.

Recent research by Barclays revealed a shocking 96% of neurodiverse business founders said they face discrimination due to their neurodiversity, with almost half reporting experiencing it either ‘regularly’ or ‘always’.

Moreover, 78% said they have felt compelled to actively hide their neurodivergence in business settings.

These findings bring to light the extent to which neurodiverse folk feel they cannot be their true, authentic selves in their day-to-day lives.

It’s perhaps not unsurprising, therefore, that two thirds of respondents reported struggling to find traditional employment prior to launching their business precisely because of their neurodivergence. I can relate, and this is as sad as it is harmful to business.

True innovation is realised when challenges are approached through a rich tapestry of diverse minds and discordant thought

Ideas upon which the most innovative companies are based so often germinate from the fertile minds of those who process the world a little differently – we should be unstinting in our ambition to empower them to flourish.

Imagine a world where every mind thinks alike, follows the same paths and solves problems in the same way. It might sound like a utopia of harmony but, in reality, it would likely be a dystopia of stagnation and echo chambers. True innovation is realised when challenges are approached through a rich tapestry of diverse minds and discordant thought.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the ability to innovate and solve complex problems is no longer just a competitive edge: it can be a necessity for survival. The demand for creative and unconventional thinking has never been more evident, and neurodiversity – the recognition of varied neurological conditions and ways of processing the world – may be one of an organisation’s most underutilised assets.

Rather than being the dastardly villains they’ve been portrayed as, the pirates who sailed during the Golden Age of Piracy were an inclusive and fair community

I have been re-watching the Pirates of the Caribbean films with my son (any excuse!) and was reminded of the marvellous book Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff.

It’s a manifesto, if you will, of how to buck the trend, overthrow the normal way of doing things, zig where others zag, and get stuff done to have a positive impact in the world. Conniff draws on the past as inspiration – namely the so-called Golden Age of Piracy between 1650 and 1720 – to positively challenge some of our ingrained myopia when it comes to the workplace and best business practice.

It may come as a surprise that rather than being the dastardly villains they’ve often been portrayed as, the pirates who sailed during the Golden Age of Piracy were an inclusive and fair community. These pirates lived by a strict code that focused on justice and equality for all. Yes, they were also a bit naughty sometimes, but just stick to the code for now!

For example, any pirate injured in battle received a payout from the ship’s shared pot of money – 800 pieces of eight for a lost leg, 600 for a lost arm and 100 for a lost eye. Pirate communities operated as democracies at a time when many people were excluded from having their say.

They didn’t just challenge the status quo, they changed every flipping thing

Same-sex marriage was accepted and celebrated aboard pirate ships. Surviving records from the 1690s onwards reveal all members of pirate crews were given a vote, including women. It would be another 240 years for women to get the vote in the UK. These pirates — men and women from multiple nations and backgrounds — weren’t afraid to change how things had always been when they realised how things could be.

What’s so profound and potent about the 18th century pirates who outwitted the navy for the best part of 30 years, is that they didn’t just break rules in purposeless anarchy, they fundamentally rewrote them. They didn’t just reject a society, they re-imagined it. And they didn’t just challenge the status quo, they changed every flipping thing.

We’re increasingly too wedded to unproven short-term models, and I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say we have a homogenisation problem. We have a bunch of people that dress the same, that talk the same, that do the same things. That is killing innovation. Innovation doesn’t happen in environments where groupthink is happening.

If we were all a bit more pirate the world in which we work would be a whole heap more inclusive, productive, innovative and, dare I say, fun!?

The inclusion of neurodiverse talent can not only combat the risk of groupthink but can also propel organisations toward groundbreaking and unconventional ideas. Breaking free from conformity can help achieve sustained competitive advantage, enhanced problem solving, improved employee satisfaction and resilient organisational culture.

Breaking down traditional hierarchies creates more inclusive environments, and pirates were surprisingly ahead of their times in terms of diversity, equity and inclusivity. It was because pirates existed in the shadows, in the margins of society — overthrowing societal conventions and creating their own counterculture.

I don’t know about you but I can’t help think that if we were all a bit more pirate (with some obvious caveats!) then the world in which we work would be a whole heap more inclusive, productive, innovative and, dare I say, fun!?

By breaking down these barriers, organisations can drive toward establishing a more innovative workforce

Addressing these issues requires a proactive approach from both individuals and organisations. Increasing awareness and understanding of neurodiversity, including the different thinking and learning styles of neurodiverse professionals, as well as fostering an inclusive workplace culture, are crucial steps towards ensuring neurodiverse professionals are not only recognised but celebrated for their contributions.

By breaking down these barriers, organisations can drive toward establishing a more innovative workforce, fuelled by the boundless creativity and problem-solving prowess of true diversity.

Embracing neurodiversity isn’t merely a nod to inclusivity; it’s a shift towards unleashing the full potential of human ingenuity and it should be considered a collective responsibility to help champion these talents that may be hidden.

Phil Wickenden is founder of Ad Lucem