⭐ Miscommunication Makes the Team Fall Apart During a Project: Take Your Unconventional or ADHD Dyslexic Style and Guide Forward
Written by JoyGenea with assistance from ChatGPT
I filmed a short video from the Minnesota Vikings game this week, and the message has stayed with me long after the final whistle. Watching a football team in real time is like watching leadership under a magnifying glass. You can see everything. The communication. The emotion. The rhythm. The breakdowns.
The thing that stood out to me was this.
Teams do not fall apart because of big dramatic failures.
They fall apart because of the tiny miscommunications that start piling up.
One missed signal. One assumption. One person thinking they heard the plan.
Then the next play breaks down. Then the next.
That is leadership. That is teamwork. That is every project most of us are working on.
And for unconventional leaders and neurodiverse professionals, the risk is even higher.
The Small Things Are Not Small for Different Thinkers
If you are ADHD, dyslexic, autistic, or simply a fast processor with a nontraditional way of thinking, you already know this truth. You see the big picture clearly. You think in patterns. You solve problems in ways that surprise people.
But you might also:
- move faster than your team
- skip steps in your mind
- forget that other people cannot see what you see
- communicate in bursts of intensity
- give more information than others can track
- give less information than others need
- expect people to intuit what you meant
- assume that shared enthusiasm equals shared understanding
None of this is wrong. It is simply how your brain works.
And it is why your communication style matters more than you think.
Most conflicts do not start with disagreement. They start with confusion.
The Leadership Trap: “Everyone Should Just Keep Up”
I hear this from unconventional leaders a lot.
“Why can’t they just follow what I said?”
“Why is everyone missing the obvious?”
“I explained it already.”
“I don’t have time to slow down.”
The problem is not your intelligence. It is not their intelligence. It is the translation gap.
A fast brain does not automatically create fast clarity. In fact, the faster your thinking, the more intentional your communication must be to keep a project together.
In football, even the greatest athletes have to know the play. The route. The timing. The signals. The snap count. The read. They do not just hope everyone feels the right thing.
They communicate the plan until there is no confusion left to hide in.
The Fix Is Not Slowing Down. It Is Increasing Clarity.
Most unconventional leaders assume the fix is to slow themselves down. That only creates resentment and self-doubt. Trust me I have seen that often enough and it is ugly.
The fix is clarity. The fix is ownership. The fix is learning your own communication patterns and using them with skill.
Here is what that looks like
- Tell People the Play Twice
Say the plan. Then anchor it with one sentence:
“This is what success looks like for this task.”
People cannot follow a fuzzy picture.
- Check for Understanding, Not Agreement
Ask:
“What are you hearing me say?”
This is not micromanaging. This is leadership.
- Create Micro Playbooks
Your brain lives in the macro.
Your team lives in the micro.
Give them clarity in simple, small pieces.
- Name Your Strengths Out Loud
Tell your team:
“My brain moves fast. If I skip steps, ask me to slow the process so we all stay aligned.”
This builds trust instantly.
- Reduce Emotional Ambiguity
Different thinkers often communicate with intensity, even when they are excited.
Intensity without context reads as irritation.
Add context:
“I am excited. I am not upset. I just think fast.”
- Make Accountability Visible
Do not assume the team will remember it all.
Use a shared project board, or a simple weekly check in.
Accountability is kindness, not pressure.
This Is What Unconventional Leadership Really Is
Unconventional leadership is not about forcing yourself into someone else’s structure.
It is not about slowing down to a speed that makes your brain miserable.
It is not about hiding your gifts or dimming your style.
Unconventional leadership is about using the brain you have.
It is about understanding your patterns.
It is about communicating with clarity, so your brilliance becomes a resource instead of a mystery.
It is about knowing your playbook and guiding your team forward.
Leadership Note
Every week I coach ADHD leaders, dyslexic innovators, autistic thinkers, and high bandwidth problem solvers. They share the same struggle. Their ideas are powerful, but the miscommunications drain confidence and momentum.
When we shift the focus from “communicating more” to “communicating clearly,” everything changes.
Projects run smoother. Teams trust them more.
And they stop carrying the weight of trying to lead with a brain they think is wrong.
Your brain is not wrong. It is wired for impact.
You simply need a leadership communication style that matches your wiring.
If You Want Help Building Your Communication Playbook
If miscommunication is slowing you down…
If you are tired of feeling misunderstood…
If you want a leadership system that works with your autistic, ADHD or dyslexic style…
It might be time to work with someone who understands unconventional brains.
Send me a message or reach out for a consultation.
We will build your playbook together.
Thanks for reading,
Coach JoyGenea
Video transcription:
Here’s a quick unconventional leadership lesson from the Minnesota Vikings games. Teams don’t fall apart because of big moments, they fall apart because of small miscommunications that add up. So, the same is true of leaders. If your different thinking and unconventional style is messing with your communication patterns, that matters even more. Missing details, emotional intensity, or fast processing can create confusion and major miscommunication. The fix isn’t slowing down, no. It’s clarity, ownership, and knowing your playbook. Unconventional leadership is about using your brain, the one you got and been given, not in trying to run everybody else’s plays, but in running your best plays. I’m JoyGenea Schumer and I am international neurodiversity coach and unconventional leadership expert.
Bye now.