Women Leaders with ADHD
What Took Me 52 Years to Learn About Building a Life That Fits
My story behind the slides I’m sharing this week
A few years ago, I would have told you the gig economy was exhausting and left it there. That was the truth, but it wasn’t the whole story.
Five years into teaching, I was running contract to contract, no real time off (still sorta the case), and still questioning whether any of it was worth it. I had already lived through building a business, growing it, watching it decline, and then losing it entirely when the pandemic hit. I swore I wouldn’t start over. And then I started questioning that decision too.
What I didn’t understand yet was why everything felt harder than it should have.
At 52, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Not as a child, not in my twenties or thirties, but decades into a career built on hustle, adaptability and sheer will. Once I had the diagnosis, so much of my life made sense in a new way. The instability I grew up with. The way I pushed through burnout instead of naming it. The moments I felt I was truly falling apart for all to see. The rejection sensitivity that made every setback feel bigger than it was. The rage. None of it was a personal failing. I have spent the last year within intensive therapy and now take a non-stimulant ADHD medication. I have recently completed an ADHD Coaching Certification to help women in midlife diagnosed to find their inner leadership again. I’m now finally owning my imprint.
Women are diagnosed with ADHD about five years later than men on average, and for many of us, that gap stretches into decades. We learn to mask it so well that even we stop noticing what we’re doing. We build careers, businesses and reputations on top of a pattern we can’t name yet.
This is the thread that runs through everything I do now, through Women in Biz Network, and my Own Your Imprint Positioning Framework, through every stage I stand on. Not the idea that we need to work harder or push through more. The idea that once you can see the pattern, you can build something that actually fits you instead of something you keep forcing yourself into.
If you’ve ever felt like you were failing at a system that was never built with you in mind, I think this one is for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are women with ADHD often diagnosed later in life?
A: Women are typically diagnosed with ADHD much later than men—often in their 30s, 40s, or 50s because their symptoms tend to present internally (e.g., inattention, mental restlessness, anxiety) rather than through hyperactive behaviors. Additionally, many women master “masking”, compensating through perfectionism and hustle—which conceals their struggles until midlife burnout or major life transitions force a diagnosis.
Q: What is ADHD masking in the workplace, and why is it exhausting for women?
A: ADHD masking is the practice of consciously or unconsciously suppressing neurodivergent traits to fit into a traditional workplace. This includes over-preparing, hiding executive dysfunction, or agreeing to extra tasks to prove competence. Constant masking drains cognitive energy and often leads to severe career burnout.
Q: How can women leaders leverage their ADHD as a strength in leadership?
A: Women leaders with ADHD often excel at creative problem-solving, rapid adaptation during crises, hyperfocus, and empathetic team building. By adopting a personalized framework like Own Your Imprint, leaders learn to delegate low-interest administrative tasks and build systems around their cognitive strengths rather than forcing themselves into traditional corporate molds.
Leigh Mitchell (She/Her)
Career & Leadership Brand Strategist | Helping Women Who Think, Lead & Work Differently Build Brands, Own Career & Leadership Imprint | CEO, Women in Biz Job Board | University Educator | ChangeMaker Leader Podcast Host
