I've worked for quite a few anxious bosses in the past and my goodness... I think they're the worst, especially if you're also an anxious person!

In the workplace, deadlines and deliverables have to be met, and you’ve got two options:

1. Leave and find another job working for a less anxious boss (not guaranteed)

2. Or work with what you've got

I've done both.

The first one is short-lived because anxious people are everywhere! So, I one day promised myself to soak up the pressure and learn to deal with them.

It's character building I must say. Anxious bosses want to feel that:

• Things are under control

• There are no surprises

• You have solutions to problems

Get these right and you've won their trust. Below are essential habits to develop.

Clear Communication

If you've been a long-time subscriber to Neuordiverdiary you'd see that communication is probably a theme I've spoken about in a lot of my posts.

Your anxious supervisor may need more updates on how things are going. I was someone who liked to be left alone when I was working but I realized that this may not bode well for the anxious line manager (at least in the early stages). I developed a habit of speaking to them pretty much every day, in person and via Instant messaging.

Over time, I enhanced my ability to communicate, influence, and persuade better. The more you can repeat this cycle:

• Plan

• Communicate

• Delivery

Your manager will start to have trust in you and over time, potentially reducing their anxiety levels.

Get Organized

When I started my Accounting career I stumbled across a quote: "Where there is no order, there is confusion", how much more for an anxious person?

When you're anxious, sometimes you're not thinking straight, you may not remember things. A boss like this needs a lieutenant who is reliable, and organized, i.e. having important emails and documents saved and readily available for redistribution if required.

If these bosses are not organized, having team members who are also not organized is just gonna lead to a 'car crash'.

As an ADHDer, being organized was a challenge early in my career. I took advantage of many tools to help me stay on top of things.

Microsoft Outlook being one example started putting the below on my calendars:

• Deadlines

• Holidays / annual leave

• Tasks

Finesse the problem-solving

Some of the best people I've seen at work are bold to take on projects and solve problems. They may not know the answers now, but they have the "I'll find out" attitude. This is an anxious boss's dream subordinate.

Early in my career, anxiety and imposter syndrome got the better of me. This was f*cking crippling! There are only so many opportunities to impress your line manager before they start questioning your capability.

Once I understood this, it was a game-changer for me. My job was to do my "day-to-day" and clean up any mess before it got to them, or at least have a plan to clean it up.

For some neurodivergent people, solving problems and out-of-the-box thinking are things we tend to be good at. This is where we could add incredible value to our work!

Final Thoughts

I’ve had quite a few contracts extended as a finance consultant from acting on the above points. How I measured success was the length of (uninterrupted) time I would be left alone to do deep work. It ensures there’s trust and confidence in your ability to deliver.

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Lastly,

Stay Different,

The AuDHD Exec

Disclaimer: I am not your psychiatrist, coach, doctor. Neurodiverse Diary does not provide medical services or professional counselling and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Everything I publish represents my opinions, experience, not advice.