Diagnosed with ADHD at 65: Leadership Lessons with Carlos Gutierrez

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.

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Join our bi-weekly Group Coaching  Quantum Thinkers' ADHD Community. 

Join our Quantum Thinkers' ADHD Community for bi-weekly group coaching sessions. Tailored for professionals seeking guidance on managing ADHD in the workplace, Coach Cathy Rashidian offers valuable insights. Through her group coaching approach, she fosters growth and understanding among participants. Each session is limited to a maximum of 8 participants to ensure personalized attention.

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