What helps an autistic professional navigate a demanding workplace—and how do they recognize and ask for that support?

In the final episode of Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work, Cathy Rashidian speaks with autistic journalist Eric Garcia, author of We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation.

Eric shares experiences from newsrooms and political reporting, including asking an editor for clearer instructions, learning from a mentor, and becoming more intentional about his working environment.

We explore:

• Autistic masking at work and the distinction between hiding your needs and using tools that help you work.

• How mentorship supported Eric early in his journalism career.

• How interviewing other autistic people changed his understanding of himself.

• Why professional capability and support needs can coexist.

• Autism representation, stigma, and the importance of community.

• His upcoming book’s exploration of autism and expectations of masculinity.

We close the series by inviting you to consider what you’ve recognized in your own work—and what you might adjust or ask for.

Eric’s upcoming book: Preorder Manly While Stimming: Autism and the Myth of the Masculine Ideal.

Explore your own patterns: Take the free Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work inventory.

Series: Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work · Part 5 of 5.

Eric Garcia is the Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent at the Independent and the author of the book We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. He is also a columnist for MS NOW. He previously worked as an assistant editor at the Washington Post’s Outlook section and an associate editor at The Hill, as well as a correspondent for National Journal, MarketWatch, and Roll Call. He has also written for the Daily Beast, the New Republic, and Salon.com. Garcia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

What can a late ADHD diagnosis reveal after decades of leadership success?

Carlos Gutierrez, former chief executive of Kellogg and former United States Secretary of Commerce, joins Cathy Rashidian to discuss being diagnosed with ADHD at 65—and how that helped him understand his working life.

Drawing on his memoir, Sheer Will: Learning to Lead When There Is No Path, Carlos reflects on ambition, his immigrant experience, and learning to lead through observation, feedback, and trial and error.

We discuss:

• Taking work home to catch up on tasks postponed during the day—and the cost to family time.

• The contribution and cost of hyperfocus in his own career.

• Learning that leadership doesn’t require having every answer.

• Accepting support and recognizing the skills others bring.

• How feedback revealed habits he hadn’t noticed.

• The role of courage, empathy, and trust in leadership.

This conversation continues our exploration of work patterns that support success while demanding more than others may realize.

Carlos’s book: Purchase Sheer Will: Learning to Lead When There Is No Path.

Explore your own patterns: Take the free Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work inventory.

Series: Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work · Part 4 of 5. Carlos Gutierrez has been an influential figure in business and politics for over 35 years, but his route to global leadership was far from the well-worn path of the Ivy League M.B.A. In fact, he never graduated from college and began his life in America without knowing a word of English. When he was only six years old, his family fled the Cuban revolution with almost nothing, travelling to Miami and ultimately emigrating to Mexico. He began working for Kellogg’s selling cereal out of a van, and climbed the ranks until he became the youngest CEO in the company’s hundred-year history. He went on to serve as U.S. Secretary of Commerce for the Bush administration, and later held executive roles in nearly a dozen major companies. Despite his humble beginnings and a lifelong struggle with untreated ADHD—he was not diagnosed with the disorder until age 65—he was able to overcome any challenge and reach incredible levels of success.

You agree to a deadline you’re concerned about, then work late to meet it. You receive positive feedback, but still feel you need to prove you deserve your role. How much effort goes into looking dependable?

In part three of Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work, Cathy Rashidian explores the Adapter and Imposter patterns. We examine experiences that can overlap with people-pleasing and imposter syndrome at work, including suppressing concerns, overpreparing, and repeatedly checking work.

In this episode:

• How to adapt your communication while keeping your own views and needs visible.

• The distinction between professional flexibility and masking.

• Why one mistake can start feeling like a judgment of your overall capability.

• How to define what “enough” means before beginning a task.

• How unclear expectations and inconsistent feedback can add to the pressure.

For professionals with ADHD and other neurodivergent experiences, this is an invitation to notice effort that colleagues may never see—and identify one expectation worth clarifying.

Explore your own patterns: Take the free Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work inventory.

Series: Patterns of Divergent Minds at Work · Part 3 of 5.