Culture by Neurodesign

In this fast-paced, no-fluff conversation for Sabine van Ditzhuizen’s What the DEI? series, I get put on the spot about neuro-inclusive design: what it means, why it matters, and how to make it work without drowning leaders in yet more DEI programs.

You’ll hear: • Terminology: neurodiversity and neurodivergence. • Business strengths linked to autism, ADHD and dyslexia - and trade-offs. • Why you don’t need people to “disclose” b...

Nick Cawthon is a San Francisco–based user experience specialist whose career has been driven by his love of creativity, change, and the magic of the flow state. In this conversation, he shares how his “fast brain” thrives when pushing into the unknown, why “burning the mental bridges” can spark breakthroughs, and how pairing with more structured thinkers brings out his best work.

Hear about:

• The magic of the flow state — and wha...

What if small, values-led businesses are already leading the way in autism-inclusion: quietly, practically, and without a policy document in sight?

In this uplifting and highly practical episode:

• Will Savell shares real-world inclusion stories from two restaurants in East Tennessee.

• We explore how clear communication, calm leadership, and flexible roles support autistic team members.

• Learn how strengths-based team design help...

Discover how designing for diverse neurostyles boosts both fairness and performance. Neuro-inclusion works for autistic, ADHD, and neurotypical thinkers, without trading one group’s opportunity to thrive for another’s.

This is the story behind my business, that led to me being recognized as one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs Shaping the Future in 2025: https://www.lisacolledgeconsulting.com/inside-view/top-10-entrepreneurs-who-will-sh...

New to neuro-inclusion? This episode is the perfect place to start.

In this warm and curious conversation, Kay Suthar asked the big questions, about leadership, team culture, autism, ADHD, and how we build workplaces where everyone contributes.

You’ll hear us discussing:

• How I accidentally discovered the impact of neurodivergence at work.

• The autism-inspired communication tweak that boosted performance across an entire team.

•...

What happens when masking stops working, and the system starts to make less space for difference?

In this powerful, real-world conversation:

• Will Savell shares his journey through ADD, executive burnout, and a fresh start.

• Why “diversity hire” comments are more common, and more damaging, than we think.

• The wide range of responses to neurodivergence — from candid curiosity to quiet discomfort.

• A raw look at the politicizatio...

What if the very skills your business is missing are ones you’re accidentally screening out?

In this high-energy, thought-provoking discussion with organizational psychologist Robert Annis, we cover:

• The unexpected strengths of autistic team members, far beyond the tech stereotype.

• Cognitive diversity as a business asset for growth and innovation, not just a compliance checkbox.

• Our role in making the case to leaders that the...

Most brainstorms favor one type of thinker, and leave the others drained or silent.

Discover how to unlock better ideas by designing your brainstorm for ALL neurostyles: introverts, ADHD-style fast thinkers, autistic-type deep processors, and more.

⚡ Includes 3 focus areas, each with 3 tactics, to help your team contribute their best thinking.

These are practical, research-backed, neurodivergence-inspired tips you can apply today, ...

A real situation. A real team. A real problem.

The team believes their lead has ADHD, and blames that for everything: chaos, stress, last-minute scrambles, and sleepless nights. But here’s the truth:

👉 The real problem isn’t what you think it is. And solving it doesn’t require a diagnosis.

In this episode, Dr Lisa Colledge shares a team case study: delivering on a deadline feels like a warzone, the team feels disrespected and over...

Your team isn’t your family, but if you’re leading both, you likely have more skills you can interchange between both situations than you realize.

In this conversation, Leadership and Team Coach Sharon Lim shares how two decades of guiding executives shaped how she raised her three teenaged sons, and what it taught her about trust, boundaries, and letting go.

We explore why leadership isn’t separate from who you are as an individua...

What if the traits you thought made you ‘weird’… are actually what make you a brilliant leader?

In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge speaks with Lee September, Software Engineering Manager at Bol.com.

Lee shares how discovering his neurodivergence, and embracing traits like sensitivity, empathy and deep perception, have shaped the way he leads. These traits have become key assets in both his leadership of a t...

What does a school play for neurodivergent children have to teach us about leadership and team performance?

In this personal episode, I share a moment that reminded me exactly why I started this work:

I believe that everyone can do something extraordinary—when you enable them to succeed.

- Why our expectations shape outcomes more than we think.

- How small sensory anchors created safety and enabled brilliance.

- What music, visual ...

What do autistic pattern recognition, Temple Grandin’s visual thinking, and Israel’s elite intelligence unit have in common?

In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge explores why neurodivergent thinking styles - such as autistic and dyslexic neurotypes - are a natural match for high-performance roles in cybersecurity and intelligence.

From Unit 9900 in the Israeli Defence Forces to the US Federal Workforce pilot,...

Autism hiring programs, like those of SAP and Microsoft, proved that neurodivergent talent can supercharge innovation, retention, and team performance. But what if you’re a team lead, founder, or manager without a big organizational program behind you?

In this episode, D. Lisa Colledge explores why these initiatives, while groundbreaking in their time, aren’t enouigh for today’s teams. Often don’t scale: they rely on formal diagnos...

We like to think of ourselves as rational—but science tells a different story. Our brains are wired to take shortcuts so we can take rapid, instinct-based decisions, and while that helped our ancestors survive, today it can leads to sub-optimal outcomes.

In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge discusses how the information processing style of autistic thinkers is more resistant to these “heuristics” and emotion-...

In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge explores what happens when culture meets people where they are—not where we think they should be.

Using Steve Silberman’s now-classic Wired article The Geek Syndrome as a starting point, Lisa describes how Silicon Valley became a pioneer in neuro-inclusion—by attracting talented people, with traits that made them well suited to technology and that also happen to be associa...

In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge speaks directly to leaders who aim to take advantage of a growth opportunity, but sense that something is not quite right in their team—even when everything on the surface looks fine.

These early signals—low energy, stalled projects, reduced initiative—are culture alarms. They are subtle, and easy to ignore, but they are real. And most leaders, pressed for time or doubting...

What if the team member you rely on most—the one who always delivers—is quietly limiting your team’s growth?

In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge explores the risks of over-relyiance on high performers, and what it really takes to build a high performing, innovative team.

Through personal stories, research, and actionable insights, Lisa unpacks why rewarding only individual brilliance alienates others, leads ...

In this episode, Dr Colledge explores Step 4 of her signature program, 12 Steps to a Future-Proof Workplace Culture. It’s the step where cultural change moves beyond the leader and begins to involve the team—intentionally, respectfully, and practically.

With candid personal stories and a proven tool—the Neurostyle Navigator—Lisa explains how to build motivation and shared accountability to make the cultural change you’re driving t...