🧠 What is Executive Function? (And Why Traditional Business Advice Fails You)
- Jenica Norris
- Oct 8
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 4
🔥 Plot Twist: Your "broken" executive function isn't holding you back—it's the exact reason you became an entrepreneur in the first place. When 35% of entrepreneurs have ADHD compared to just 4-5% of the general population
It's time to stop managing your brain and start weaponizing it. Your brain feels "offline" again. You're staring at your business plan, but nothing's clicking. Your to-do list keeps growing while you can't seem to START anything meaningful. That familiar spiral begins: "Why can't I just focus like everyone else? Am I even cut out for this?"
Here's what nobody tells ADHD entrepreneurs: It's not laziness. It's not lack of motivation. It's your executive function—and once you understand how to work WITH it instead of against it, you'll unlock the business superpower that's been hiding in plain sight.
🧠 What Is Executive Function? (And Why Traditional Business Advice Fails You)
Executive function is your brain's CEO—the set of cognitive processes that control planning, organization, time management, self-control, and adaptability. Think of it as your mental air traffic control system, managing the flow of information, thoughts, and actions to achieve your goals. For ADHD entrepreneurs, executive function works differently. While neurotypical brains have a steady, predictable CEO, your brain has a visionary genius who sometimes takes coffee breaks at the worst possible moments.
The Three Core Components of Executive Function:
Component | What It Does | ADHD Challenge | ADHD Superpower |
Working Memory | Holds information while using it | Forgetting brilliant ideas mid-conversation | Rapid pattern recognition across vast information |
Inhibitory Control | Controls impulses & distractions | Getting pulled into "urgent" tasks | Quick pivoting when opportunities arise |
Cognitive Flexibility | Adapts strategies when needed | Struggling with routine systems | Innovative problem-solving under pressure |
📊 The Shocking Truth About ADHD Entrepreneurs
The statistics will revolutionize how you see your brain:
35% of entrepreneurs have ADHD compared to 4-5% of the general population
People with ADHD are 500% more likely to start businesses than neurotypicals
ADHD entrepreneurs who get proper support see 1.6x to 3.1x returns on their coaching investment
Reality Check: Your executive function challenges aren't holding you back—they're the reason you became an entrepreneur in the first place. Your brain craves novelty, thrives on crisis management, and sees opportunities others miss entirely.
🚨 When Executive Function Goes "Offline": The Business Chaos You Know Too Well
The Executive Function Breakdown Cycle:
Phase 1: The Brilliant Idea Storm⚡
Your brain generates 47 amazing business ideas before lunch
Each one feels like THE breakthrough that will change everything
You start planning execution for all of them simultaneously
Phase 2: The Analysis Paralysis🤯
Too many options create decision fatigue
Simple tasks feel overwhelming and "urgent"
You bounce between priorities without meaningful progress
Phase 3: The Shame Spiral😰
"Why can't I just focus like everyone else?"
Productivity advice feels like speaking a foreign language
You wonder if you're cut out for entrepreneurship
Phase 4: The Crisis Management Superhero🦸♀️
Deadline pressure kicks in your hyperfocus
You accomplish in 3 hours what takes others 3 days
The cycle repeats with the next project
Sound familiar? This isn't dysfunction—this is your brain operating exactly as designed. The problem isn't your executive function; it's that you've been trying to force a Ferrari engine into a minivan framework.
🔥 The Executive Function Myths That Keep You Stuck
❌ Myth 1: "You Need Better Time Management"
✅ Reality: You don't experience time linearly. You need energy-based scheduling that works with your natural rhythms, not against them.
❌ Myth 2: "Just Use a Planner/App/System"
✅ Reality: Static systems bore your ADHD brain into rebellion. You need flexible frameworks that adapt to your changing interests and priorities.
❌ Myth 3: "You Lack Self-Control"
✅ Reality: Your "impulsivity" is actually rapid opportunity recognition. When others are still analyzing, you're already taking action.
❌ Myth 4: "You're Easily Distracted"
✅ Reality: Your brain is constantly scanning for novelty and innovation. This "distractibility" is why you spot market gaps others miss entirely.
💡 The Top 5 Executive Function Strategies That Actually Work
Based on comprehensive analysis of successful ADHD entrepreneurs, these strategies deliver the highest success rates:
1. Strategic Delegation (Success Score: 8)
Traditional Advice: Do it all yourself to maintain control.
ADHD Reality: Your brain craves novelty—operational details kill your motivation.
Real-World Success: Faye McCann built multiple six- and seven-figure companies by designing her businesses around her ADHD brain. She uses strategic delegation to handle crises and operations while focusing on strategy and innovation.
Implementation:
Identify your zone of genius (usually big-picture thinking)
Hire detail-oriented team members for operational tasks
Create clear systems for handoffs and communication
Focus on what only YOU can do
2. Visual Organization Systems (Success Score: 6)
Traditional Advice: Keep everything in your head or text-based systems.
ADHD Reality: Your brain processes visual information faster and retains it longer.
Real-World Success: Richard Branson carries notebooks everywhere as visual capture systems, while Barbara Corcoran uses color-coded dashboards for client management.
Implementation:
Use Kanban boards for project visualization
Implement color-coding for different business areas
Create visual dashboards for key metrics
Replace text-heavy processes with mind maps
3. Time Blocking (Success Score: 3)
Traditional Advice: Schedule every minute of your day.
ADHD Reality: You need dedicated blocks that honor your natural focus cycles.
Real-World Success: Faye McCann uses time blocking to carve out strategy, sales, and family time, preventing overwhelm while maintaining business growth.
Implementation:
Block time for high-energy creative work
Schedule administrative tasks during low-energy periods
Build in buffer time for hyperfocus sessions
Protect transition time between different types of work
4. Energy-Based Planning (Success Score: 3)
Traditional Advice: Maintain consistent productivity throughout the day.
ADHD Reality: Your energy and focus fluctuate dramatically—work with these patterns.
Real-World Success: Michael Dell schedules complex business challenges during his natural hyperfocus periods, reserving routine tasks for low-energy times.
Implementation:
Track your energy patterns for one week
Schedule high-stakes work during peak energy windows
Use low-energy periods for email and admin tasks
Allow flexibility for unexpected hyperfocus sessions
5. System Reset Process (Success Score: 2)
Traditional Advice: Stick to your systems no matter what.
ADHD Reality: Your systems need regular updates to prevent boredom and rebellion.
Real-World Success: Kasey Corsello developed the "4 Rs Reset Process" (Recognize, Reset, Reduce, Rebuild) for when systems break down.
Implementation:
Monthly system audits: What's working? What's not?
Simplify overcomplicated processes regularly
Build in flexibility for seasonal changes
Celebrate system updates as innovation, not failure
📈 The Business Impact: When Executive Function Becomes Your Competitive Edge
Before Optimization:
Endless planning with zero execution
Decision paralysis on simple choices
Missing deadlines despite good intentions
Feeling like a fraud despite your talents
After Optimization:
Strategic focus on high-impact activities
Rapid decision-making based on clear frameworks
Consistent delivery through systems that work with your brain
Confident leadership that celebrates your cognitive differences
"Once I stopped trying to be a neurotypical entrepreneur and started leveraging my ADHD superpowers, my revenue tripled in 6 months. My 'executive dysfunction' became my executive advantage." - Success story pattern from multiple ADHD entrepreneurs
🛠️ Your Executive Function Action Plan
This Week:
Track your energy patterns for 7 days using a simple 1-10 scale
Identify your top 3 business priorities and circle only these
Create one visual system for your current biggest project
This Month:
Implement energy-based scheduling for all major tasks
Delegate one operational task to free up mental bandwidth
Design flexible frameworks that can evolve with your interests
This Quarter:
Measure your productivity improvements using ADHD-friendly metrics
Build strategic partnerships for skills that drain your energy
Consider executive function coaching to accelerate your progress
🔬 The Science Behind Your Executive Function Superpowers
Recent neuroimaging studies reveal that ADHD brains have heightened connectivity between deep brain structures and frontal regions, creating unique advantages:
Enhanced pattern recognition from diverse neural networks
Superior crisis management under pressure situations
Innovative problem-solving through unconventional connections
Rapid opportunity identification via constant environmental scanning
The bottom line: Your executive function differences aren't bugs—they're features that create competitive advantages when properly leveraged.
🔥 Ready to Transform Your Executive Function from Weakness to Weapon?
Your executive function challenges aren't holding you back—they're the exact cognitive differences that make you uniquely equipped for entrepreneurial success. When 35% of entrepreneurs have ADHD, it's clear that our brains are built for business disruption. The Rebel Method teaches you to harness your executive function as the competitive advantage it was always meant to be.
In just 12 weeks, we help you:
✅ Transform time blindness into strategic urgency
✅ Convert creative chaos into systematic innovation
✅ Turn hyperfocus into your most profitable business asset
✅ Use your pattern recognition to spot opportunities others miss
Stop managing your ADHD. Start leveraging it for business domination.
Ready to join the executive function rebellion? The next cohort of The Rebel Method starts soon, and we're looking for ADHD entrepreneurs who are tired of fighting their brains and ready to unleash their superpowers.
🚀 What's Your Biggest Executive Function Challenge?
Drop a comment below and tell us:
What executive function struggle hits hardest for your business?
Which strategy from this post are you most excited to try?
How has your ADHD brain surprised you with its capabilities?
Your breakthrough is waiting. It's time to stop apologizing for how your brain works and start celebrating the competitive advantage it gives you.
⚡Ready to leverage your executive function as your biggest business asset? Book your free strategy call and discover how The Rebel Method can transform your ADHD challenges into industry-disrupting advantages.
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