A conversation with Craig Isaak and Ryan Darby on workplace friction, neuroinclusion, and why so many "people problems" are really system problems — exploring how leaders can design work around how humans actually think, focus, recover, and perform.

Episode Date: May 27th

Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech)

Summary:

Craig Isaak brings a human-centered and neuroinclusive lens to how work gets designed. Dr. Ryan Darby brings behavioral science to the hidden friction slowing teams down. Together they make the case that burnout, disengagement, and underperformance aren't people problems — they're conditions problems. In this conversation they break down the friction tax, the fog-heat-grind framework, and why the single best question a leader can ask isn't "how do I fix this person" but "where is the system getting in the way."

Main Topics:

What the friction tax actually costs — and why unlike the IRS, you don't have to pay it

Why burnout is less about hours and more about frustration — and how those are the same emotional process

The corporate costume: how unexamined culture creates friction nobody can name but everyone feels

Fog, heat, grind — the three most common sources of workplace friction and how to eliminate them

Why rewarding the loud and fast thinker in meetings is a system problem, not a talent problem

How job crafting happens naturally at the top and gets denied at the bottom

What changes when leaders flip the question from "how do I get this person to fit" to "where is the system creating friction"

What never shows up on a resume: working odd hours with clear outcomes, and being the anti-sales salesperson

Intriguing Quotes:

"Unlike the IRS, you don't have to pay the friction tax. You're just paying it because you've always paid it."

"Another word for friction is frustration. And another word for frustrated, by the way, is anger."

"The conditions were all wrong. It wasn't a people problem."

"Assume credibility. That employee was hired for a reason. Start with why."

"We have yet to unlock human potential. Right now we have humans capped inside systems."

"One word for a truly human-centered workplace? Empathy."

Key Moments:

[02:43] The friction tax explained: organizations have spent decades eliminating process friction through Six Sigma and Lean, but never applied the same thinking to human interactions. That's the gap — and it's costing everyone.

[07:31] Why we reward extroversion in meetings and call it intelligence. The person who speaks first gets credit. The reflective thinker who speaks last with the best idea gets overlooked. That's a system problem.

[08:15] The school start time case study: shifting high school start times improved attendance, engagement, and test scores. The students were fine. The conditions were wrong. The same principle applies to every workplace.

[19:01] Fog, heat, grind: lack of clarity, interpersonal conflict, and a mismatch between strengths and job requirements. Fix these three things and you eliminate most workplace friction.

[28:03] Craig's neurodivergent ideation moment: wild ideas that needed a conversational partner to find the gold inside them. That's not a problem. That's where innovation lives — if the system makes space for it.

[30:53] The shift that unlocks everything: stop asking how to get people to fit the system. Start asking where the system is creating friction. The answer changes everything.

Notable Resources:

Concepts: Friction tax; fog-heat-grind framework; job crafting; radical individualization; conditions vs. people problems; corporate costume

Connect with Craig Isaak:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigisaak/

Connect with Dr. Ryan Darby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsdarby/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

A conversation with Laura Anthony on neuroinclusion, disability law, communication, and why great minds don't think alike — exploring how leaders can create stronger teams by making space for different brains, different perspectives, and more human ways of working.

Episode Date: May 26th

Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Devon Walker (Head of Recruiting at LinkTech)

________________________________________

Summary:

Laura Anthony is an inclusive leader, disability and education lawyer, mediator, and neurodiversity advocate whose belief that great minds don't think alike started long before her career — with a grandmother who lost her right hand and kept painting, and a mother whose brain injury left her French intact while everything else shifted. In this conversation she breaks down why neuroinclusion is a talent, cultural, and performance imperative, why curiosity is the most underused leadership tool, and why you can't policy your way into inclusion.

________________________________________

Main Topics:

● The family origin story behind "great minds don't think alike"

● Why leaders confuse communication style with capability — and how that assumption skews everything

● The curb cut effect and why neuroinclusive design benefits everyone, not just neurodivergent people

● Why neuroinclusion is more than accommodation — it's a rising tide that lifts all boats

● How curiosity stops risky assumptions before they become wrong conclusions

● The COVID video call moment that proved a curious question beats a panicked assumption

● Why different ways of thinking matter more in the age of AI, not less

● The myth she'd retire: neurodiversity as always a superpower

________________________________________

Intriguing Quotes:

"Great minds don't think alike."

"Confusing communication style with capability — that's where everything else starts to skew."

"Neuroinclusion is a talent imperative, a cultural imperative, and a performance imperative."

"When we don't understand someone's behaviour, we fill those gaps with assumptions and stop being curious."

"You can really live inclusion in the smaller moments — how you run a meeting, how you give feedback."

"One word for a truly neuroinclusive workplace? Connected."

________________________________________

Key Moments:

● [02:09] The origin story: grandmother loses her right hand, keeps painting with the other. Mother survived a brain injury and lost everything — except her French. A family where ability just didn't always look how people expected.

● [09:23] The biggest leadership mistake: confusing communication style with capability. Someone processes out loud, needs more time, avoids eye contact — and it gets called a performance issue or a culture fit problem.

● [13:26] Why neuroinclusion goes beyond accommodation — if 50%+ of Gen Z identifies as neurodivergent, separate programs just keep othering the majority of your incoming workforce.

● [24:44] The COVID video call: staff think Laura's mom has had a stroke. Everyone's panicking. Laura takes a breath, gets curious, asks: "How do you like my hair?" Her mom sits up and says she hates it. No stroke. Just tired of people.

● [30:06] Why different thinking matters more in the age of AI: the tasks AI can't replicate come from out-of-the-box thinkers. Neuroinclusion isn't just the right thing — it's the competitive thing.

● [31:03] The myth she'd retire: neurodiversity as always a superpower. It glosses over real challenges and can feel dismissive to someone navigating sensory overload or a system not designed for them.

________________________________________

Notable Resources:

● Concepts: Curb cut effect; universal neuroinclusive design; neurodiversity vs. neurodivergence; curiosity as leadership tool; communication under pressure

________________________________________

Connect with Laura Anthony:

● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraganthony/

________________________________________

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcas Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A conversation with Laura Anthony on neuroinclusion, disability law, communication, and why great minds don't think alike — exploring how leaders can create stronger teams by making space for different brains, different perspectives, and more human ways of working.

Episode Date: May 26th

Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Devon Walker (Head of Recruiting at LinkTech)

Summary:

Laura Anthony is an inclusive leader, disability and education lawyer, mediator, and neurodiversity advocate whose belief that great minds don't think alike started long before her career — with a grandmother who lost her right hand and kept painting, and a mother whose brain injury left her French intact while everything else shifted. In this conversation she breaks down why neuroinclusion is a talent, cultural, and performance imperative, why curiosity is the most underused leadership tool, and why you can't policy your way into inclusion.

Main Topics:

The family origin story behind "great minds don't think alike"

Why leaders confuse communication style with capability — and how that assumption skews everything

The curb cut effect and why neuroinclusive design benefits everyone, not just neurodivergent people

Why neuroinclusion is more than accommodation — it's a rising tide that lifts all boats

How curiosity stops risky assumptions before they become wrong conclusions

The COVID video call moment that proved a curious question beats a panicked assumption

Why different ways of thinking matter more in the age of AI, not less

The myth she'd retire: neurodiversity as always a superpower

Intriguing Quotes:

"Great minds don't think alike."

"Confusing communication style with capability — that's where everything else starts to skew."

"Neuroinclusion is a talent imperative, a cultural imperative, and a performance imperative."

"When we don't understand someone's behaviour, we fill those gaps with assumptions and stop being curious."

"You can really live inclusion in the smaller moments — how you run a meeting, how you give feedback."

"One word for a truly neuroinclusive workplace? Connected."

Key Moments:

[02:09] The origin story: grandmother loses her right hand, keeps painting with the other. Mother survived a brain injury and lost everything — except her French. A family where ability just didn't always look how people expected.

[09:23] The biggest leadership mistake: confusing communication style with capability. Someone processes out loud, needs more time, avoids eye contact — and it gets called a performance issue or a culture fit problem.

[13:26] Why neuroinclusion goes beyond accommodation — if 50%+ of Gen Z identifies as neurodivergent, separate programs just keep othering the majority of your incoming workforce.

[24:44] The COVID video call: staff think Laura's mom has had a stroke. Everyone's panicking. Laura takes a breath, gets curious, asks: "How do you like my hair?" Her mom sits up and says she hates it. No stroke. Just tired of people.

[30:06] Why different thinking matters more in the age of AI: the tasks AI can't replicate come from out-of-the-box thinkers. Neuroinclusion isn't just the right thing — it's the competitive thing.

[31:03] The myth she'd retire: neurodiversity as always a superpower. It glosses over real challenges and can feel dismissive to someone navigating sensory overload or a system not designed for them.

Notable Resources:

Concepts: Curb cut effect; universal neuroinclusive design; neurodiversity vs. neurodivergence; curiosity as leadership tool; communication under pressure

Connect with Laura Anthony:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraganthony/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

A conversation with Norris Frederick on the transition from professional athlete to entrepreneur, finding identity beyond performance, and using discipline, storytelling, and lived experience to build a life that feels aligned.

Episode Date: May 19th

Host: Tia Kleckner (CEO at LinkTech), Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Devon Walker (Head of Recruiting at LinkTech)

Summary:

Norris Frederick is a three-time US bronze medalist, former professional long jumper, and one of the most decorated athletes in Washington State history. After 13 years competing at the world's highest level, he walked away — not at the finish line but at a feta cheese moment in Athens. In this conversation he talks about what it actually feels like to leave the only identity you've ever known, why elite athletes confuse focus with depression, and how the discipline of elite sport built the foundation for everything he's building now.

Main Topics:

How a late bus and a punishment sport became a three-time Olympic bronze medal career

Living at the Olympic Training Center ranked number two in the world — with the number three ranked athlete as your roommate

Why elite athletes confuse focus with depression

The moment in Athens when Norris knew it was over — and got offered a job by Oakley in Bermuda before he even jumped

What the corporate world gets wrong about routine, burnout, and going through the motions

Why the hardest part of entrepreneurship is people — not skill, not strategy

What AI shortcuts are going to cost the next generation of creators

Intriguing Quotes:

"I wasn't thinking about legacy or reputation. I was thinking about what happens next."

"A lot of athletes confuse focus with depression. I didn't know the difference until you pointed it out."

"I'd rather fail going 100% than fail being like, I didn't have my whole heart in that."

"It was probably the loneliest 13 years of my life — because who could you actually talk to?"

"How much work people put into figuring out how to cut corners — when they could have just done the job."

"One thing I'm building toward? Happiness."

Key Moments:

[03:11] How Norris ended up in track: showed up late to the basketball bus, got punished with a spring sport, wore basketball shoes to his first meet, jumped 6'4" in the high jump, and never looked back.

[09:31] The depression-versus-focus moment: going home after practice, lights out, watching YouTube videos of other long jumpers until midnight, staring at the ceiling. Adam said he was depressed. Norris said he was focused. Adam was right.

[14:43] The loneliness of the highlight reel: 13 years where his life was measured in feet and inches. Nobody saw the hours alone storyboarding. They just saw Instagram and called it inspiring.

[24:47] The Athens moment: standing on the runway thinking about feta cheese. Then Bermuda — no spikes, no jersey, all camera gear. Got offered a job by Oakley on the spot.

[29:44] What the corporate world can learn from elite sport: people burn out doing the same thing for 20 years the same way athletes burn out. The question is the same — what now?

[33:36] Lightning round: transition in one word — motivated. Hardest part of entrepreneurship — people. What athletes won't admit when competition ends — depression. What he's building toward — happiness.

Notable Resources:

Concepts: Athlete identity transition; elite performance psychology; storytelling as entrepreneurship; discipline carried forward

Connect with Norris Frederick:

Website: https://www.norrisfrederick.com/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

A conversation with Conway Brew on late autism diagnosis, masking, psychological safety, and why neuroinclusion does not have to be overcomplicated — it starts with better language, stronger leadership, and creating space for people to show up as they are.

Episode Date: May 13th

Host: Tia Kleckner (CEO at LinkTech), Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech)

Summary:

Conway Brew is a healthcare executive who masked his autism for decades before receiving a late diagnosis. What changed wasn't who he was — it was having the language to explain it. In this conversation he breaks down why neuroinclusion doesn't require corporate-level change, why subjective performance metrics quietly push out neurodivergent talent, why panel interviews are everyone's nightmare, and how assuming positive intent changes what your whole team is capable of.

Main Topics:

What high-functioning masking actually looks like — the exhaustion, the oversharing instinct, the strategic silence

Why a late diagnosis only gives you language, not a new identity

The language problem in corporate reviews: what is executive presence, really?

How to lead neurodivergent people without requiring self-disclosure

Why Conway interviews for personality, not skill — and what Richard Branson and SEAL team selection have in common

Panel interviews: why they should go, for everyone

Assume positive intent — and why it sometimes only lasts until 9am

What neuroinclusion actually requires: not corporate programs, better people leaders

Intriguing Quotes:

"The only thing that changes with a late diagnosis is I now have the language to explain what I'm going through that I didn't have before."

"Executive presence — if you ask five executives to explain it, you'll probably get four different answers, maybe five."

"I like to hire adults, treat them like adults, and expect adult level work in return."

"It's not as hard as you think it is. It doesn't require corporate level change. It just requires better people leaders."

"Assume positive intent. Sometimes it only lasts till nine o'clock in the morning, but I try."

"I've specked my character all wrong and I can't go back and redo it like I can in a game."

Key Moments:

[02:09] Why Conway went public: his therapist asked if he had a platform. He did. So he used it — specifically to counter the claim that neurodivergent people can't hold executive roles.

[03:41] The mixing board metaphor: autism isn't a linear spectrum. Some dials are at 11, some at zero. If you've met one autistic, you've met one autistic.

[11:31] The two things people leaders can do without requiring disclosure: change the language in talent reviews, and make performance metrics actually measurable.

[18:36] Conway's leadership philosophy in practice — the team doesn't ask permission for time off, they manage their own deliverables. It takes people a while to believe he means it.

[24:09] How Conway interviews: personality over skill, every time. Skills can be trained. If someone blows up the team dynamic, no skill set fixes that.

[32:43] Lightning round: one word for how he thinks — root cause. Workplace norm to redesign — going to an office. Remove from performance reviews — anything subjective. One thing leaders overcomplicate about neuroinclusion — everything.

Notable Resources:

Concepts: Autism as a mixing board not a linear spectrum; masking; executive presence as unmeasurable metric; output-based leadership; psychological safety; assume positive intent

Connect with Conway Brew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conwaybrew/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

A conversation with Bob Newman on dyslexia, ADHD, accessibility, and why building opportunity that actually works means moving beyond labels, honoring different ways of thinking, and creating environments where people can truly succeed.

Episode Date: May 11th

Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Devon Walker (Head of Recruiting at LinkTech)

Summary:

Bob Newman got a theater degree because reading and writing were hard and talking to people felt natural. Twenty years later he's a sales and business development leader, neurodiversity and accessibility advocate, and founder of a business helping parents navigate a neurotypical world after their child gets a diagnosis. In this conversation he breaks down why only 3% of people with a disability disclose it at work, why accessibility is not a disability-specific issue, and why the real cost of not building inclusive systems shows up on your bottom line.

Main Topics:

How Bob's dyslexia and ADHD shaped a career built on connection, not convention

Why context determines whether neurodivergence is a superpower or a struggle

The 3% disclosure problem — and why 74% of managers are uncomfortable having the conversation

What companies still get wrong about accessibility: assuming no raised hands means no problem

Why accessibility isn't disability-specific — 84% of disabilities are acquired during working years

The universal design argument: all of us will need accommodation at some point, some of us just get there first

What Bob would tell every employer: grade me on the output, not how I get there

Why inclusion isn't kumbaya — it hits your bottom line

Intriguing Quotes:

"Getting the right answer in school isn't alone the right answer. They want to see you did it the way they want you to do it."

"Only 3% of people with a disability disclose that to their employer. Three."

"Accessibility in the workplace isn't a disability-specific need. All of us want to be accommodated in a way that we can show up as our most authentic selves."

"Grade me on the output of my work. Don't grade me on how I do it or where I do it."

"We're not advocating for the heck of it. You will have higher returns, more efficient workers. It's going to impact your bottom line."

"We are so much more than a little piece of paper."

Key Moments:

[02:33] Bob's origin: parents who saw brightness in context, not just challenge. A mother who became a guardian angel — making sure he had what he needed when teachers just saw problems to manage.

[05:50] The superpower debate settled: in middle school, the last thing Bob wanted was to be different. As an adult, when it started earning him money, it became a power. Context is everything.

[09:39] The disclosure gap: 3% disclose, 74% of managers are uncomfortable having the conversation. With 50%+ of Gen Z associating with some form of neurodivergence — the math doesn't add up.

[19:43] Devon's science test story: got four wrong out of 200, received a C minus because of spelling. Bob's response: that's what it means to navigate a neurotypical world as a neurodivergent person.

[28:49] The universality of accessibility: 84% of disabilities are acquired between 18 and 64. If you're not building for it now, you're building for your future self.

[39:35] Why Bob seeks out early-stage startups: the chaos is where he thrives. The day tomorrow won't look like the day yesterday — and that's where he climbs fastest.

Notable Resources:

Bob's business: helping parents navigate a neurotypical world after a neurodivergent diagnosis — no instruction manual exists, so he's building one

Concepts: Universal design; disclosure gap; accessibility as business strategy; hyper-focus; output-based performance

Connect with Bob Newman:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/newmanrobertj/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

A conversation with Tim Harvey on why procurement is really about people, collaboration, and trust — and how bringing different voices, stronger communication, and a more human approach can change the way businesses make decisions.

Episode Date: May 11th

Host: Tia Kleckner (CEO at LinkTech), Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech)

Summary:

Tim Harvey stumbled into procurement the same way most people do — by accident. Twenty-plus years later he's Director of Procurement at CompSource Mutual Insurance and one of the clearest voices in the room on why procurement is fundamentally a people business. In this conversation he breaks down why cost is the most overvalued metric in the room, why the same vendors and the same decisions keep producing the same results, and why the most powerful phrase in the English language is "I don't know — but I'll find out."

Main Topics:

How Tim fell into procurement via a warehouse P card and never looked back

Why procurement equals people — contracts, costs, and complexity all come down to relationships

The most powerful phrase in business: "I don't know, but I'll find out"

Getting younger, more diverse talent into procurement — and why it starts with listening to them first

AI as a tool not a replacement — and why empathy is the last thing it will touch

The cool kids club problem: same vendors, same decisions, same results

What happens when innovation only lives on the product side and never reaches operations

What never shows up on Tim's resume but drives everything he does

Intriguing Quotes:

"If you can read at a third grade level, you can do procurement. In the end, 100% of the time, it comes down to people and relationships."

"The most powerful phrase in the English language is I don't know — but I'll find out."

"A spreadsheet can only tell part of the story. It doesn't say everything."

"I don't want somebody just like me. I've been good enough at being me. I need you to be you. Now we can be a strong team."

"Whatever your preconceived notions are, whatever your biases are — put those to the side. Find out what the people want. The only way you'll find out is by asking."

"It's underutilized. Underappreciated. I'll say that."

Key Moments:

[06:12] Tim's core belief: contracts, specs, and complexity all resolve the same way — through people. Communication failure is almost always what caused the problem in the first place.

[08:29] What procurement leaders can do to make the process more human: just be honest. "I don't know, but I'll find out" gets you further than any glitz-and-glamour sales pitch.

[15:58] The empathy gap in hiring: Tim's experience job hunting after running his own business — automated rejections, silence for weeks, and the very human question of "why don't they like me?"

[24:14] The same-vendor trap: complacency, 5% price increases that get signed off without question, and companies too big to fail doing exactly that.

[31:47] Lightning round: most overvalued metric — cost. Most undervalued — ROI that doesn't show up on a spreadsheet. Best business lesson from sports or food: cook for the judges, not yourself.

[34:10] What's not on Tim's resume: a knack with people, built through hard mistakes over decades. He spent years beating himself up for not being his father. Turns out he was always his mother's child — and she did essentially the same job.

Notable Resources:

Concepts: Procurement as people strategy; diversity of thought vs. diversity of appearance; culture add vs. culture fit; alignment; ROI beyond cost savings

Connect with Tim Harvey:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-harvey-cscp-lss-65b512153/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A conversation with Mark Stowitts on decision intelligence, systems thinking, and how neurodiversity shapes better problem-solving, stronger teams, and more resilient organizations.

Episode Date: April 14th

Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Devon Walker (Head of Recruiting at LinkTech)

Summary:

Mark Stowitts spent 80% of his life before age 12 homeless, raised by a self-proclaimed Lithuanian gypsy in a car. He didn't get clinically diagnosed until his 30s. Today he's a fractional CTO for 10 companies, founder of Spectrum Think Tank, and one of the sharpest systems thinkers in the room. In this conversation he breaks down why job descriptions filter out the exact talent companies need, why practical AI application is the only AI conversation worth having, and why neurodivergent people make the best pattern-matching advisors in any organization.

Main Topics:

Growing up homeless, getting diagnosed in his 30s, and what autism stigma looked like in 1980s Texas

The Green Lantern analogy — why neurodivergent superpowers always come with a yellow

Why systems reward conformity while marketing cognitive diversity

How Spectrum Think Tank works: stop defining the role, define the goal

The FastAPI hiring disaster — listing tool names instead of skills filters out the people who built the tools

The Boeing dilemma: can you hire a person and their AI as a package deal?

Empathy as structural advantage — why neurodivergent pattern recognition is the best organizational listening system

Snake Wrangling at Microsoft — what real inclusion looks like in practice

Intriguing Quotes:

"You can do anything — unless it's yellow. That to me is the quintessential conversation around neurodivergent superpowers."

"Stop listing Python skills. Find me someone with seven to ten years of SQL. They'll learn Python in a month."

"The creator of FastAPI couldn't apply for a job requiring three years of FastAPI. He didn't create it until 18 months ago."

"It's a spectrum. Everybody's on it. It's a wave."

"Neurodivergent people are more in tune to where friction isn't occurring — and when it occurs too easily, they question it."

"Real inclusion. Not the buzzword. Real inclusion."

Key Moments:

[01:42] Mark's origin story: 80% of childhood homeless, raised on the road. No diagnosis until his 30s. First reaction when told he was autistic: "I'm not autistic." It took months and the right evaluators to get there.

[04:13] The Green Lantern analogy — indestructible will and imagination, except for yellow. Corporate environments repeat the same pattern: you can do anything, unless it's politics.

[13:50] Spectrum Think Tank's model — stop asking what role you need, start with what you're trying to accomplish. A retired mailman, a pit crew chief, and an Army supply officer all became great taxonomy experts.

[23:55] The job description problem: three years of experience doesn't indicate success. Poking a dead body every day doesn't make you an autopsy expert.

[31:06] What never shows on the resume: empathy for the holistic structure — sensing friction across departments before anyone else does, and questioning when things run too smoothly.

[34:11] Snake Wrangling at Microsoft — data hygiene made fun with wanted posters and rubber snakes, until two people raised snakes. Mark's response: rename it and apologise. That's real inclusion.

Notable Resources:

Spectrum Think Tank — neurodivergent talent and solutions community

Concepts: Decision intelligence; systems thinking; practical AI application; four-dimensional thinking; pattern recognition

Connect with Mark Stowitts:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markstowitts/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

A conversation with Chris Riley on building better developer experiences, navigating tech as a neurodivergent professional, and why creating space for different ways of thinking unlocks stronger teams and better software.

Episode Date: April 3rd

Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Devon Walker (Head of Recruiting at LinkTech)

Summary:

Chris Riley has spent nearly two decades in developer relations — from running an IT consultancy in high school to senior manager of Developer Relations at HubSpot. He's also openly neurodivergent: dyslexic, ADHD, and ASD. In this conversation he gets into what awareness of your own neurodivergence actually unlocks, why the superpower narrative misses the struggle, how AI is both a tool for access and a dopamine trap, and why nobody gets to dictate how someone else is productive.

Main Topics:

How Chris accidentally found his career home in developer advocacy — and why it suited a brain that was good at everything but nothing completely

Dyslexia, ADHD, and ASD: what awareness changes and what it doesn't fix

Why the superpower narrative around neurodivergence doesn't tell the whole story

How Chris builds psychological safety as a manager — transparency, self-deprecation, and sharing his own performance reviews

AI as access tool and addiction risk — both sides of the coin for neurodivergent professionals

Context engineering and why neurodivergent minds may have a unique edge in the AI era

Why you can't dictate how people are productive — and what outcome-focused leadership looks like

The emotional health piece nobody wants to talk about

Intriguing Quotes:

"You can't dictate how people are productive."

"If your brain's telling you you're done, you're done."

"I never wanted to use my disabilities as an excuse. I just seek awareness so somebody might pause and think twice."

"I don't think I could have done it without many years of discomfort. Me 20 years ago would not even be capable of being near the manager I am today."

"You could be masking and not even know you're masking."

"If you're truly going to leverage the superpower part of it, they have to be a part of the conversation. You don't tell them — here's how I help you."

Key Moments:

[09:42] What awareness actually changes — when you don't know, it's nothing but a problem. When you do, you can start to lean into the benefits and communicate what you need.

[13:52] The performance review moment: Chris's employee almost quit because she thought he wasn't listening on Zoom. Then she realised he'd absorbed everything and more. The gap between how we appear and what's actually happening.

[16:40] How Chris builds safe spaces as a manager — sharing his own performance reviews, poking fun at himself, and making clear there are other avenues to give feedback about him directly.

[22:33] The AI opportunity for neurodivergent thinkers: context engineering rewards creativity and pattern recognition. But the dopamine loop is real — no delay means no stopping.

[29:00] The productivity myth: outcomes are what matter. If you've decided to hire somebody, you've said you believe in them. Stop dictating when and how they work.

[34:00] Advice for neurodivergent professionals early in their career: you may be masking and not even know it. And address the emotional health piece — the tips and tricks don't cover that part.

Notable Resources:

Concepts: Developer advocacy; context engineering; ASD Level 2 sensory avoidance; rejection sensitivity; masking; outcome-focused leadership

Connect with Chris Riley:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devrel/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

A conversation with Karlton Butts on leadership as a rhythm, aligning people and performance, and why understanding how individuals think and collaborate is the key to building high-performing, resilient teams.

Episode Date: April 2nd

Host: Tia Kleckner (CEO at LinkTech), Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech)

Summary:

Karlton Butts spent his early life chasing music — choir, guitar, bands, stages. He never became a rock star, but everything he learned about bands became the foundation for how he thinks about leadership. In this conversation he breaks down why alignment is the starting point for every high-performing team, why hiring smart people isn't enough if nobody's conducting, and why culture is something you feel — not something you put on a policy document.

Main Topics:

How Karlton's journey from music to engineering to law to consulting shaped a unique lens on leadership

Why a band is the perfect metaphor for how teams actually work — and what most companies miss

The difference between alignment and agreement — and why one creates rhythm and one creates noise

What happens when a team becomes too in sync and everyone starts thinking like the boss

How leaders can spot when a team is out of rhythm — and how to correct it fast

Why culture is felt, not mandated — and how leadership behaviour is the real culture signal

The danger of defensive leaders who accidentally shut down the voices they need most

Karlton's book: The Soundtrack of Leadership

Intriguing Quotes:

"You can put a bunch of smart people in a room, but it doesn't mean you're going to optimise the result."

"Culture is something you feel. It's not something that's mandated or put on paper in a policy."

"Do as I say, not as I do — that can absolutely affect culture very negatively."

"You still need a conductor at the front of that orchestra to make sure they all play in sync."

"Always be intentional — because the results are absolutely worth the journey."

"If you can't connect with others to make the collective team better, that can hinder not only your growth but the growth of the team."

Key Moments:

[04:39] The band-to-business translation: alignment, communication, collaboration. Everyone knows the song, knows their role, knows when to come in. When something's off, you hear it and correct it fast.

[09:44] The practice insight: sports teams and bands rehearse constantly — but corporate teams are expected to just click from day one. Treating daily work like practice changes everything.

[13:07] What happens when teams think too much alike — people stop bringing their expertise and start guessing what the boss wants. You hired them for their thinking. Let them use it.

[19:48] The monthly meeting trap: leader gives one chance a month to speak up, in a room full of peers, then checks the box when nobody does. Psychological safety can't be scheduled.

[24:19] Lightning round: myth to kill — smart people perform without a conductor. Most overcomplicated thing — alignment. Most underrated team trait — clarity. One word for great leadership — respect.

Notable Resources:

The Soundtrack of Leadership by Karlton Butts: https://thesoundtrackofleadershipbook.com/

Audiobook coming soon

Connect with Karlton Butts:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karltonbutts/

Book: https://thesoundtrackofleadershipbook.com/

Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelinktech/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.