Play It By Your Rules

E25 - PIBYR: How to Manage Spiky Profiles - Neurodivergence as a Competitive Edge

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What if the traits we label as “too much” — too intense, too detailed, too sensitive — were actually your team’s biggest untapped advantage?

In this episode of Play It by Your Rules, I sit down with Xenia Matthies — business psychologist, systemic consultant, and founder of NeuroSynergy® — to explore how neurodivergence can become a competitive edge in leadership and team design.

We dive into:

  • The many shades of neurodivergence - and why our brain (and nervous system) work differently.
  • “Spiky profiles”: what they are, how they show up, and why they can be a superpower for teams.
  • Co-regulation as the next frontier of leadership - tuning into energy, creating safety, and leading with presence.
  • Moving from awareness to action - building workplaces where everyone can thrive.
  • The four pillars of neuroinclusion - at the individual, team, and leadership level: self-awareness, co-regulation, clarity, and structural support.
  • Practical tools like cognitive team mapping and team playbooks - turning inclusion into daily practice.

    • ✨ Practical takeaways you can try today

    Xenia’s 4 micro-rules for everyday neuroinclusion (or simply good management):
    1️⃣ Ask instead of assume.
    2️⃣ Share instead of expecting.
    3️⃣ Observe before you interpret.
    4️⃣ Together - rather than against each other.

    Because the future of leadership isn’t just about emotional intelligence - it’s about neuro-intelligence.

    🎧 This episode runs a bit longer to give space for a deeper dive into concepts such as co-regulation - what it is, how it works, and why it might just be the next leadership frontier. Tune in and see how these insights could reshape the way you lead, live, and collaborate.

     

    🔗 Explore Xenia’s work - mostly in German:

    🌐 Website: www.xeniamatthies.com

    🎥 Online Keynotes:

    • Führung braucht Klarheit (Online recording – paid): Watch here

    • Abenteuer Neurodivergenz – Mein Survival-Kit für ein selbstbestimmtes Leben (Free): Watch here

      📚 Books:

      • Playbook Neuroinklusion — practical guide to neuroinclusion: Read here

      • Manifestieren aus dem Nervensystem: Amazon link

      • Mein Kind hat ADHS – und jetzt?: Amazon link

        🎧 NeuroLeadership Podcast:

        www.xeniamatthies.com/podcasts/neuroleadership

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        Play It By Your RulesBy Meggi Rombach