In the complex world of leadership, especially for neurodiverse individuals, success often hinges not on what we do, but on what we choose to eliminate.

Eliminating R.A.T.S.™: A New Approach to Leadership for Neurodiverse Executives

Welcome!

In the complex world of leadership, especially for neurodiverse individuals, success often hinges not on what we do, but on what we choose to eliminate. Remember that "Our efficiency lies in how we use 20% of our time, which accounts for 80% of our impact."

This quote captures the essence of the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, which is widely applied in time management and productivity processes implemented around the world. It emphasizes the importance of identifying and focusing on high-impact activities that generate the majority of results, allowing professionals to achieve more with less effort. However, how can we achieve this amidst so many distractions? The way I approach persistent challenges in leadership is to consider patterns, then "label" the situation and give it a name—usually as an acronym—that reflects either the thing to avoid or the thing we should harness.

One of these labels which I will share today, will seek to address the distracting and destructive nature of people, circumstances or situations which over time will rob us from reaching our objectives.

Shall we?

The concept, which I call the R.A.T.S.™ Strategy, is a game-changer for leaders seeking focus, balance, control, and unprecedented success through what leaders don't do or chose not to engage in.

Understanding R.A.T.S.™: The Silent Saboteurs of Success

R.A.T.S.™ stands for people who “eat away” your Resources, Attention, Time, and that ultimately create Stress or stressors in your day to day activities.

These are the elements that, when mismanaged, can derail even the most promising leaders regardless of their skill or capacity.

Julia Cameron, in her groundbreaking work "The Artist's Way," coined the term "crazy makers" to describe individuals, or situations that consistently create chaos and drain our creative energy. These are the R.A.T.S. ™ you need to identify and systematically oust from our personal and professional life.

Let's look at an example of this from Marvel Entertainment using a well known ERRC grid to illustrate what they should be doing and what their R.A.T.S. are.

Simplified Explanation: The Red Car Strategy

The Red Car Strategy- in case you've never heard about it- is a concept that illustrates how perception and selective attention work. Essentially, when we start focusing on something specific, like red cars, our mind becomes more aware of that object. As a result, we begin to notice it more frequently in our environment.

Practical example:

1. Initial focus: You decide to pay attention to red cars.

2. Increased awareness: Your mind becomes more alert to red cars.

3. Enhanced perception: You start seeing red cars "everywhere," not because they've become more common, but because your mind is more attuned to them.

This strategy demonstrates how we can influence our perception by focusing on certain patterns or objects. It's used in various areas, such as marketing and personal development, to help people concentrate on specific goals or opportunities.

Comparison with R.A.T.S.™

While the Red Car Strategy is about focusing on something positive to increase awareness, R.A.T.S.™ is about identifying and eliminating negative elements that affect productivity. Both strategies help improve efficiency, but in different ways: one promotes the identification of opportunities, and the other removes barriers to success.

The Neurodiversity Factor

For neurodiverse leaders, managing R.A.T.S.™ is particularly crucial. Our unique cognitive styles demand clarity and directness whilst protecting our mind from tiresome activities which do not contribute to progress. By focusing on eliminating R.A.T.S.™, we create an environment where our minds can avoid disperse thinking and instead naturally connect ideas and strategies, leading to the right decisions, innovative solutions and enhanced productivity.

NOTE- As a suggestion the Portuguese reader can consider the same concept with a language suited acronym R.A.T.O.S™ (Recursos, Atenção, Tempo, Oportunidades, Stress), Maria Moreira-Edwards

The Three-Stage R.A.T.S.™ Elimination Process

Stage 1: Identifying R.A.T.S.™ in Your House or Office

This stage is about recognizing existing R.A.T.S.™ in your life and business. These could present themselves in the form of:

• Family or friends who engage in gossip, persistent negative conversations or that centre your engagement in their situation without considering your thoughts, feelings or perspectives.

• Clients or supplier relations who demand disproportionate effort on your part to resolve issues. They absorb excessive attention (expertise) and time (hours in your week) without proportional returns

• Partners or Team members who consistently underperform and require constant supervision over an extended period and that despite your efforts fail to make or maintain progress in the right direction.

• Managerial processes- also called micro management activities- that drain resources without adding clear value

Action Step: Stop "feeding" these R.A.T.S.™ through greater awareness and decisive counter action. Limit your availability, prepare an alternative course of action and instead of interacting, try your best to delegate and redirect your energy to much more enjoyable high-value activities.

Stage 2: Preventing R.A.T.S.™ Attraction

Here, we focus on what's potentially drawing R.A.T.S.™ to your personal or professional ecosystem. It might be:

• Unclear boundaries or standards in selecting and qualifying adequate client relationships

• Ineffective hiring processes that bring in misaligned team members draining a variety of resources; people, systems and time.

• Participation in low-value or low-relevance networking events

Action Step: Adjust your professional intention and messaging "bait." Refine your communication, tighten your selection criteria, and not forgetting to be selective about which engagements you are keen to take on. Contemplate possible scenarios as well as outcomes, before engaging. Ask yourself “Why am I doing this?”.

Stage 3: Managing Unavoidable R.A.T.S.™

Sometimes, R.A.T.S.™ are temporarily unavoidable. In these cases:

• Quantify the resource drain: is the person or situation drawing Resources, Attention, Time or raising Stress. Then find tactics to reduce impact in each of these areas. Perhaps do more pre-work or make a conversation “statement” before you engage.

• Set clear, immovable boundaries regardless of the skill of the RAT™. Remember they may be pairing with similar people when they meet with you.

• Plan a definitive exit strategy. Then work backwards considering decisions that ensure you limit exposure.

Action Step: Minimize engagement and impact. Keep interactions brief and focused, and always have your exit plan in mind.

The Neuroscience research behind R.A.T.S.™ Elimination

Research shows that rats (the actual rodents) experience reduced stress when given control over their environment. Similarly, leaders who take control by eliminating R.A.T.S.™ experience lower stress levels and increased resilience. This is particularly beneficial for neurodiverse leaders, who may be more susceptible to coping well with environmental stressors over long periods of time.

Implementing the R.A.T.S.™️ Strategy in Your Leadership

1. Audit Your Environment: Regularly assess your professional ecosystem for R.A.T.S.™

2. Communicate Clearly: Set explicit boundaries and expectations with your team and stakeholders.

3. Prioritize Ruthlessly: Focus on activities that align with your core objectives and values under your mentoring journey.

4. Create R.A.T.S.™ Free Zones: Designate times and spaces where you're completely free from potential R.A.T.S.™ interactions.

The Long-Term Impact

By consistently applying the R.A.T.S.™ Strategy, you'll notice:

• Increased focus and productivity

• Reduced stress and improved well-being

• More time for high-value, strategic thinking

• Enhanced ability to leverage your unique neurodiverse strengths

Remember, great leadership, especially for the neurodiverse, isn't just about what you achieve—it's about what you choose to eliminate -see Marvel's ERRC Grid. How can you create more head space for those genius moments? By eliminating and reframing your daily activities in what really matters to you.

The R.A.T.S.™ Strategy isn't just a tactic; it's a fundamental shift in how you consolidate your identity and approach your role as a leader.

Embrace this strategy, and watch as your leadership effectiveness soars, free from the R.A.T.S.™ that once held you back. Your future self will thank you for making this golden leadership strategy a cornerstone of your professional life.

Contact our agency if you have any questions or need to discuss the R.A.T.S.™ in your life or business.

Maria Moreira-Edwards. Founder and Fractional Leader

+44 (0) 203 8552839 or +351 (0)93 2027717

p.s. this article is an extract taken from my book manuscript “Leadership for Neurodiverse Leaders” out later this year.

Sources:

1. Cameron, Julia. "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity." TarcherPerigee

2. Marvel Entertainment. "ERRC Grid for High Performing Leadership and Management." Marvel.com

3. "Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)." Investopedia

4. Moreira-Edwards, Maria. "Leadership for Neurodiverse Leaders." (Upcoming book)

5. "The Impact of Environmental Control on Stress in Rats." Nature Neuroscience

6. "Neurodiversity in Leadership." Harvard Business Review

7. "The Red Car Phenomenon: Understanding Selective Attention." Psychology Today

Note: Some links are to general pages as specific articles were not mentioned in the original content.