Culture by Neurodesign: Talent and engagement
Talent and engagement go hand in hand. Organizations that succeed in broadening their hiring perspective and fully engaging their existing workforce create workplaces where no one wants to leave.
This theme explores two aspects of talent strategy:
Expanding your appeal to the full talent pool: remove barriers, rethink your hiring approach, and tap into pools of talent that are often overlooked.
Making the most of your existing talent: how focusing on engagement, well-being, and workplace culture drives performance, improves mental health, and boosts retention.
By rethinking how we attract, engage, and support our talent, we can design workplaces that are happier, healthier, and more productive for everyone.
Burnout isn’t a personal failure, it’s a design flaw. In this episode, energy coach Rich Ellis and Lisa Colledge explore how leaders can manage energy, not time, to prevent burnout and boost team performance. Learn practical steps to build sustainable energy rhythms, reduce stress, and design neuro-inclusive, high-performing teams.
Academy Award–winning producer turned tech leader Steven Puri reveals productivity hacks to unlock the flow state, improve focus, and finish high-value work. From Hollywood discipline to startup innovation, he shares how leaders and teams can reduce distractions, boost workplace performance, and build sustainable success. Learn how neuro-inclusive leadership and flow design fuel innovation, resilience, and growth.
UX specialist Nick Cawthon shares how his “fast brain” finds creativity in flow states, why burning mental bridges fuels innovation, and how working with structured thinkers turns ideas into impact. This conversation explores the power of neurodiverse teams, combining rapid idea generation with precision and detail, to build adaptability, resilience, and high performance in design, AI, and beyond.
Discover how neurodivergent talent like autistic thinkers drives innovation, cognitive diversity, and competitive advantage. Dr Lisa Colledge and psychologist Robert Annis explore neuro-inclusion, leadership strategy, and how diverse brains fuel growth, resilience, and long-term business success.
What if leadership and parenting weren’t separate skills—but reflections of the same mindset? In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, coach Sharon Lim shares how leadership tools like clarity, flexibility, and trust helped her raise three sons and lead high-performing, neuro-inclusive teams. Learn why adaptive leadership, emotional intelligence, and individualised support are essential for building psychological safety, improving team performance, and supporting cognitive diversity at work and at home.
Discover how neurodivergent leadership is reshaping tech culture. In this powerful episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Lee September—Software Engineering Manager and Neurodivergence BRG Lead at Bol.com—shares how embracing his high sensitivity and autistic traits transformed his leadership style. From building psychological safety to preventing BRG burnout, this conversation explores the power of emotional intelligence, authenticity, and neuro-inclusive leadership in engineering. Essential listening for new team leads, BRG/ERG leaders, and inclusive workplace champions looking to turn neurodiversity into a strategic performance edge.
Relying on “rock star” employees leads to burnout, fragility, disengagement, and slower growth. Dr. Lisa Colledge explores how neuroinclusive team design—enabling diverse thinking and working styles—boosts innovation, morale, and performance. Discover how shifting from top-down to inclusive collaboration helps everyone thrive, not just a few.
Innovation depends on diverse thinking, yet organizations often overlook one of its richest sources: neurodivergent talent. In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr. Lisa Colledge speaks with business psychologist Robert Annis, who shares both professional expertise and lived experience of autism, ADHD, face blindness, and aphantasia. Together, they challenge the extremes of deficit and superpower narratives, emphasizing the need for systemic change—not superficial fixes. With over half of Gen Z identifying as neurodivergent, companies must evolve or risk falling behind. The episode offers actionable steps for leaders to build inclusive, psychologically safe environments that empower every kind of thinker—and unlock true innovation.
How do you create meaningful change in your team when leadership isn’t fully on board? In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Jaime Gennaro and I explore The Middle Way—a practical, under-the-radar approach to empowering your team, building influence, and driving change without fighting for top-down approval.
A bold idea and persistent action can spark global change. In this special Culture by Neurodesign Podcasthon episode, Dr. Lisa Colledge speaks with Tjerk Feitsma, Director of The Neurodiversity Foundation, about transforming neurodiversity awareness into an international movement. From AI-driven communication tools to tackling hiring bias, the Foundation is reshaping inclusion in 50+ countries. Their biggest success, Neurodiversity Pride Day (June 16), has grown into a worldwide celebration, with ambitions for UN recognition and even a future event in space. This conversation highlights how daring to think big, embracing cognitive diversity, and taking small, consistent steps can drive lasting change.
Why do some leaders resist growth despite its benefits? In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Lisa Colledge and leadership coach Jaime Gennaro discuss how ego, outdated management styles, and gender dynamics influence leadership engagement. With 8 out of 10 employees disengaged, adapting leadership style to better align teams and missions becomes a powerful competitive advantage. for 7 seconds
Why do some leaders resist growth even when it benefits their teams? In this Culture by Neurodesign episode, Lisa Colledge and leadership coach Jaime Gennaro explore how ego, outdated management, and gender dynamics hinder change. With 8 in 10 employees disengaged globally, optimizing leadership for better team and mission alignment is a crucial competitive advantage.
How can teams tap into the quiet potential of introverts, and create environments where they thrive?
In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa College sits down with Richard Etienne, founder of The Introvert Space, to discuss the power of the often hidden strengths of introverts, and how teams and orgaizations can shape their culture to maximize the contributions from introverted talent. They explore the workplace challenges faced by introverts, the friction between different working styles, and practical strategies for improve inclusion of different personality types.