At my son’s high school for neurodivergent teens, students are strongly encouraged to get a summer job or commit to a regular volunteer opportunity.

Of course, part of the goal is learning responsibility: managing a schedule, showing up on time, and following through. But it’s also about getting uncomfortable, learning new skills, interacting with different people, and experiencing what it feels like to contribute to something bigger than yourself. It also helps challenge an assumption that still exists: that someone who thinks, communicates, or presents differently may not be capable of doing the same things as their neurotypical peers.

In fact, there are some things my emerging senior is exceptionally good at. He’s incredibly reliable. He takes pride in doing things correctly. And repetitive tasks that might bore another teenager? He can stay focused on them far longer than most.

This summer, he’s working in the housekeeping department of a local boutique hotel. And while we’ve always viewed summer jobs as an opportunity to help him build skills for life after high school and college, this particular job has taught me something, too.

His managers have provided a bit of a masterclass in how to lead a neurodivergent employee.

MAKE “GOOD WORK” CLEAR

One of the first things his direct manager did was walk him through exactly what his role involved. Keep in mind, service and presentation is of utmost importance here. She used checklists and visuals, worked alongside him during his first few days, and explicitly showed him what “acceptable” looked like rather than leaving things open to interpretation.

When giving instructions, she keeps them clear and concise. There’s very little guessing about what “good work” means. From day one, she made it clear that no question is a bad question and that he can always come to her when he needs something clarified.

For my son, that clarity is especially important. But think about how often employees struggle simply because expectations that seem obvious to a manager aren’t actually obvious at all.

BE DIRECT WHILE BEING WARM

His manager is also warm, welcoming, and direct. She understands that on a busy day, he may need someone to tell him, “We need to pick up the pace.” But she also understands that raising her voice in a stressful moment isn’t going to motivate him. In fact, it will likely do the opposite.

There’s an important distinction here. Being calm doesn’t mean avoiding direct feedback. We can be very clear about what someone needs to do differently without adding unnecessary stress to the interaction.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE WORDS OF RECOGNITION

The leadership team there is also incredibly generous with recognition. As I’ve mentioned before, recognition doesn’t need to be grandiose or come with a monetary value to make an impact. My son thrives on simply knowing he did a good job.

Last week, he came home and told me that the owner of the hotel had stopped him to say, “You do really great work around here.” I think he smiled for the rest of the day. He felt seen. He felt valued. And he knew that his contribution mattered.

MAYBE IT’S NOT A DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP PLAYBOOK

Of course, neurodivergence is incredibly broad. What my son needs to be successful may look very different from what another neurodivergent employee needs. But I’ve also realized that so much of what his managers are doing to help him succeed translates into strong leadership for just about everyone:

Clarity around expectations. Calm, direct communication. A safe place to ask questions. Recognition for work done well.

These things may be especially important for some neurodivergent employees, but I’m not sure there are many neurotypical employees who wouldn’t perform better with them, too.

Maybe managing a neurodivergent employee doesn’t require an entirely different leadership playbook. Maybe it simply reminds us just how important the fundamentals of good leadership really are.