The Autistic Professional Journey to Leadership: Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter

4 min readFeb 28, 2025

Image | Adam Mico (via Midjourney prompt)

For much of my life, I worked hard to understand people and find my place in a confusing world. Being autistic means navigating an environment where things like eye contact, small talk, empathy, and social cues don’t come naturally but have to be learned. It took me nearly 50 years, but I’ve finally found my place — not just as an individual, but as a leader.

What Leadership Really Means

Leadership isn’t just about climbing the corporate ladder or gaining a fancy title…. it’s about growth — learning from experiences, making better decisions, and understanding the people you work with. A leader’s influence extends far beyond themselves, shaping workplace culture, policies, and opportunities for others.

Unfortunately, many leaders forget that as they rise, they also need to grow in empathy, self-awareness, and respect for different perspectives. That’s where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) come in — not just as essential elements of effective leadership.

Studies have shown that diverse leadership teams consistently outperform less diverse ones. A McKinsey report found that companies with more gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to be profitable (McKinsey, 2020). Harvard Business Review also highlights how diverse teams make better decisions and foster more innovation (HBR, 2016).

The Role of AI and Data in Inclusive Leadership

We live in a world where AI and data-driven decision-making are shaping everything — from hiring processes to product development. But AI is only as unbiased as the data it’s trained on.

A powerful example of this issue comes from facial recognition technology. Research from MIT found that early AI models had much higher error rates for darker-skinned individuals and women because they were primarily trained on white male faces (Buolamwini, MIT, 2018). A separate study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) confirmed that these biases led to misidentification rates up to 100 times higher for Black and Asian individuals (NIST, 2019).

This kind of bias isn’t just a tech problem — it’s a leadership problem. If companies fail to include diverse perspectives in the teams developing AI models, they risk creating technologies that reinforce discrimination rather than eliminate it.

The same applies to leadership in general. Leaders who don’t make room for different viewpoints end up with policies, products, and workplaces that fail to serve everyone. Research shows that organizations with inclusive leadership are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders and 2.3 times more likely to have high-performing teams (Cloverpop, 2017).

Why DEI Still Matters — Even When It’s Under Attack

Lately, there’s been growing resistance to DEI initiatives, with some arguing that these programs create division instead of unity. But that argument completely misses the point.

DEI isn’t about exclusion — it’s about ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity at success, especially those historically overlooked. Companies that embrace DEI don’t just improve their workplace culture; they outperform their competitors (McKinsey, 2020).

Deloitte’s research highlights that when employees feel included, they are more engaged, productive, and committed to their organizations (Deloitte, 2018). In contrast, organizations that ignore DEI often struggle with retention, innovation, and team morale.

As someone who has spent years trying to find where I belong, I know firsthand how important it is to create spaces where people can thrive as their authentic selves.

The Human Side of Leadership

For a long time, I believed leadership was about being the smartest person in the room or being productive at your job. I used to think technical expertise and strong decision-making were what mattered most. But over the years, I’ve realized that leadership is ultimately about people.

People want to work for and with leaders who respect them, see their struggles, and actively create environments where they feel valued. The best leaders uplift others, fight for fairness, and recognize that work isn’t just about productivity — it’s about human experience and collaboration.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, tech, AI, and business leaders must take their responsibility seriously—the systems we build and the cultures we shape must reflect the best of humanity. DEI isn’t some fleeting trend — it’s a fundamental part of what makes organizations excel.

Leadership is a privilege, and it comes with the responsibility to continue growing — not just in our careers but in our character. The best leaders never stop learning; they embrace inclusivity and use their influence to create a fairer, more equitable world.

Whether in AI, business, or everyday interactions, we must keep pushing for a world where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and succeed.

And it starts with leaders who truly care.

Citations

Buolamwini, J. (2018). Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classification. MIT Media Lab. Available here
Cloverpop. (2017). Hacking Diversity with Inclusive Decision-Making. Forbes Summary. Available here
Deloitte Insights. (2018). The Diversity and Inclusion Revolution: Eight Powerful Truths. Available here
Harvard Business Review. (2016). Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter. Available here
McKinsey & Company. (2020). Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters. Available here
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2019). Face Recognition Vendor Test Part 3: Demographic Effects. Available here

I used AI to assist in the following:

Image, Midjourney AI
Outline organization and research assistance, ChatGPT
Editing, Grammarly

Adam Mico

Note: My book, “Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification,” is available for order here.