Spiky Profiles in Leadership: Intent vs Impact
Not every leader is “well-rounded.” Some of us have spiky profiles, sharp peaks where things come easily, and troughs where tasks feel like wading through treacle.
The concept was first described by Grant (2009) and has since been developed by Prof. Amanda Kirby and others working in neurodiversity. It shows up strongly in ADHD, where creativity, problem-solving, or verbal reasoning might soar, while working memory, planning, or processing speed plummet.
But, in an effort not to leave anyone out here, we all have spikes. ADHD just makes the peaks higher and the troughs deeper.
👉 For a neurotypical leader, the “difficult” bit might be Excel pivot tables.
👉 For an ADHDer, it might be remembering where they saved the Excel file in the first place.
(Both are valid. Neither is fun.)
Intent vs Impact
Intent: You want to energise, inspire, and move things forward, those are your peaks.
Impact: Without support, the troughs can look like inconsistency, unreliability, or overwhelm for your team.
Example: You nail a breakthrough strategy (peak in creativity), but forget to send the follow-up details (trough in working memory). The team is left confused, even though your intent was to inspire.
How Leaders Can Use This
1️⃣ Name your spikes and troughs: no shame, just awareness.
2️⃣ Communicate openly: “Here’s what comes easily to me; here’s what drains me.”
3️⃣ Build scaffolding: systems, delegation, or colleagues to catch the dips.
4️⃣ Ask about impact, not “Do you like my style?” but “How does my leadership land for you?”
The Takeaway
Leaders don’t need to be perfectly “even.”
We need to be self-aware.
Because when you understand your spiky profile, you reduce the gap between your intent and your impact, and you give your team the best of your peaks without leaving them stranded in your troughs. | 25 comments on LinkedIn